


Path Home (PG version)

by Fianna9, gatekat



Series: Dragons of Hausnest [4]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragons of Hausnest, Entertainer!Jazz, M/M, Praxians are Predacons, Pre-War, Predacon!Prowl, Priest!Soundwave, These Predacons are Really Different
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 03:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 67,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18161033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fianna9/pseuds/Fianna9, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatekat/pseuds/gatekat
Summary: Cybertron's leadership may be willfully ignorant of what's coming but not so our little family. But between duties, Prowl learning about being an adult, lack of intel and mistakes will they make it out before Megatron makes his move?This is the same story as the explicit one just minus the sex.





	1. Making a Home

It had been four metacycles since the gala where Jazz had gotten a coveted sponsorship from Runtime and most of it had been written, recorded and settled. While Jazz still had some work to do composing the final few songs the first music video was already in production. It was to be the title song and Prowl was more than a little flustered that it was so clearly about him. Just because he understood before the contract was agreed to that the terms included a minimum of two dragon-themed songs, Prowl on the cover and in every video didn't mean he really grasped that the songs would be about _him_. Anyone who knew him from home or here would recognize him in the lyrics.

It wasn't what he wanted to be known for even if he readily admitted they were flattering. The vid being recorded was for a song about flight through a stormy sky. A few Aerial dancers were currently being filmed doing some loops and spins in the sky. The director had talked about adding some storm effects behind them in post-production. There had been talk about filming Prowl in flight with them but that was still being debated. Jazz had mentioned that this wasn't uncommon with directors.

It all made for a rather chaotic environment and Prowl stuck a bit closer to Jazz than required. He was ready for his part and rather glad it was small and simple. Stand on stage showing off while Jazz, the band and dancers did their thing. If he felt like moving with the music he could.

Simple.

He still got the impression from Ravage that it was going to be a long couple of orns of doing the same thing again and again. He reminded himself that it wasn't much different than posing during a party or for an artist.

Jazz and the band started up and as soon as the electric cello started the dancers began to move in sync with each other and the underlying hum from a glass armonica. The eerie noise wasn't a replication of a storm sound but it fit with the sensations Prowl occasionally got flying through one. It made his wings tingle and he flapped them careful not to get in anyone's way. He wanted to fly. To move to the music in the way Jazz was singing about. Feeling this live with the entire band was very different from a recording. They brought so much extra energy.

Prowl thought they had finished the piece without incident, but the director headed straight for Jazz once filming was stopped.

"Even I can see the dragon wants to fly during this piece and it looks wrong having him on the ground," he stated bluntly. "You think he can follow the optional choreography Semblance created without crashing into anyone?"

"I'm sure he can," Jazz said with absolute confidence as Prowl walked to them after hearing 'dragon'. Jazz willing stroked his helm when it nudged his hand the way a large cala hound would. He could teek that Prowl wasn't concerned or seeking reassurance but trying to play the part of a large domestic mechanimal.

"Good. We'll take a short break so he can teach the dragon his moves," the director turned and yelled out, "Okay, short fuel break. Everyone back in a groon. Semblance don't you go anywhere you've got a job to do."

The amber and bronze mech came over at his designation.

"We're going with the optional choreography," the director told him. "Get him ready."

Semblance nodded and focused on Jazz. "So how does he learn best? Laser trace, following, something else?"

"Show him the pattern on the datapad and then have him follow someone in the air," Jazz replied after picking up a suggestion from Prowl through their fields. "Make certain to have the chase go through the center of his flight path up there since he's not the same frame-type as his target. It'll help prevent near misses."

Semblance nodded, checked the datapad and then held it up for Prowl to study. It wasn't a difficult flight pattern most likely because Semblance wasn't aware of his capabilities and didn't have a lot of time to teach an ordinary mechanimal something complicated. There was one dive in particular that would pass between the dancers in the air during a point where Prowl was certain they'd interject a lightning strike behind him. After studying it, he looked up at Semblance and said, "Show now."

The choreographer blinked and jumped slightly in surprise, then nodded. "Do it once by yourself," he motioned towards the flight space.

Prowl looked up at the open air confined with rigging lower down to provide lighting, power and camera positions for the band and dancers. Without a word Prowl lunged up to use the rigging to climb as high as he could.

It held under his weight even as a small cry of shock came from below. Scaling it wasn't difficult with the metal framework despite the cabling running through it all. He neatly avoided the cameras and lights not wanting to cause any damage.

"He's nonpowered flight and has to get up there somehow," he heard Jazz explain. "If the rigging can support the crew it can support him."

"Warn me next time," Semblance said faintly from below.

Prowl wasn't certain why the mech hadn't realized it when he saw Prowl's frame given he worked with different kinds of fliers and should have noticed the lack of engines. Yes he could use his wings to get in the air but it was painfully energy intensive. Once he was as high as he could go he leaped up and beat his wings to get to the starting point and gave himself over completely to flight protocols and the moves he was to perform. Pulling this off with so little wind and no thermals to speak of was going to require all his attention.

The dives were actually an easier part since he could put his aerodynamics to good use. Trying to stay level up during the circling was a bit more challenging but he thought he pulled it off fairly well. Once the routine was completed he landed and headed over to Jazz and Semblance.

"We'll probably throw in some fake wind gusts to explain some of the unevenness in his flight. I don't have anything to make thermals to make it easier for him up there. We'll need to take that into account for the next vid," Semblance said to Jazz as Prowl approached.

~Record over the apartment? I can fly much better there,~ Prowl suggested across fields.

"Could we control the airspace above the apartment? He flies well there." Jazz passed along the suggestion from Prowl. After another hint, he offered, "What about fans to create winds here?"

"Possibly, although the spectators might be more trouble than the director wants to deal with but that's his call," Semblance said staring at Prowl's wing structure. All but on reflex Prowl fanned them out and wiggled them in a move that was purely showing off without taking up much space.

Jazz nodded his understanding as the director came back. "Well?" he said looking at Semblance.

"We'll need two practice runs so everyone in the air knows their places especially considering the dragon's unusual flight style," Semblance said to the director. "If we have any other vids with him flying we'll want to look at adding equipment or a different location with better wind conditions for him."

"We'll look into that," the director nodded. "Do the rehearsals and let's get back to work."

* * *

Prowl waited as patiently as he could at the entrance to the kitchen as Jazz approached. His tanks were reminding him that it was time for his last snack before dinner. After ten vorns it was a well-established routine.

Once Jazz reached the kitchen he started talking to Prowl before he filled the dish. "Now, Soundwave and I have been talking about your freedom and we realized that you're going to need to learn to be responsible for the cost of your own fuel intake."

Prowl didn't have a name for the sound he made but he was sure it mirrored his surprise-confusion even as his processors caught up to the fact that as an independent adult that was something he would need to do. He'd just been so far from being there when he was captured it had long since been forgotten about as a skill.

"Understood," he said while he tried to think about the factors that went into such a choice and knew he wasn't even aware of half of them.

"Now, we've talked about several ways of doing this, and we think the best route to take is to start an account for you within the household. When you work the income will be put into the account whether it's for an outside agency or acting as my guard at a party. We're going to list costs for the different levels of energon, and you'll get to decide how much of what quality you consume. It will allow you to see how fast your consumption depletes your funds," Jazz explained. "Since it's an internal account it isn't actually spending the funds, but it will help you learn to manage shanix. Does this sound reasonable to you?"

Prowl contemplated that for a partial klik and nodded. "It does. When will the counting begin?"

"I was thinking I could start explaining it to you today, but the official program would start tomorrow," Jazz said, relieved that this solution was acceptable. They really hadn't come up with any other alternative that was acceptable and likely to succeed. "Now, your normal ration for a mid-afternoon snack is one and a half cubes of low grade. Each cube of low grade costs one shanix."

Prowl nodded and eagerly accepted the internally rounded cube they'd eventually commissioned for him to drink from because it was easier for him to lick every last bit out of. While he sucked the energon down he listened to Jazz list out the other grades and costs.

"Why does high grade cost more than the equivalent charge of regular?" Prowl asked after he finished.

"The processing required to condense it and the failure rate means they have to charge more," he explained easily. "Since you don't get overcharged the best use for it would probably be before a long flight. Once you get the hang of this system we'll start adding in treats and different kinds of energon. We figured all of that information at once would make things too complicated in the beginning."

Prowl nodded his agreement. "I can learn all at once. It integrates better when I fully process one lesson before beginning the next. What basics are shanix spent on?"

"Housing, fuel, long distance transportation, taxes and fees for services," Jazz ticked off. "Start of next decaorn we'll add in a basic charge for housing as if you were in an apartment the size of your room in a lower-level apartment in a working class part of town. We'll discuss costs if you want to increase your living quarters expenses to cover an apartment on a higher level."

"Housing, fuel and services make sense," Prowl said agreeably. "Why would I need long distance transportation and what are taxes?"

"You have less need of transportation than most grounders," Jazz agreed as he relaxed in a plush chair nearby. "In your case it would most likely be if you wanted to travel to another city-state; you'd probably balance out the cost of transportation compared to the cost of energon flying there. Taxes are fees the government collects to pay for things like road maintenance, Enforcers and government bureaucracy."

"How are taxes determined?" Prowl asked after a lingering moment of contemplation.

"There are taxes based on income; your official income is currently mine due to you being a mechanimal. Soundwave is going to show you how income taxes work later after you get a better grasp on shanix," Jazz thought for a moment. "There are also taxes involved in the purchase of certain products especially anything imported. Occasionally it's cheaper to import something and pay the taxes, so if you are looking at an unusual purchase you might want to check the prices in different cities before buying."

Prowl went still, cocked his head then cocked it the other way with a deepening scowl in his field and wings as he tried to work that out. Eventually he gave up. "How?"

"Certain products are cheaper if you buy them where they are plentiful. If I'm looking at buying something made out of crystal I'll check businesses in Harmonex because they have a lot of crystal formations so it's a more commonly used material. Being common means it's usually less expensive," Jazz explained. "You can look up businesses in different locations yourself, but there are also merchants that specialize in that sort of search and acquisition. It's one of the ways Swindle makes his shanix."

"So it can cost less to go somewhere, buy a thing, ship it home and pay taxes than to buy it already here?" Prowl really struggled with the idea.

"Because each mech in the process ups the price to make a profit. When you buy it in a store here there are usually several more mechs between the producer and your home than if you buy it directly from the producer. It's not always true but some items are worth it. Other times the volume sold here offsets the cost difference," Jazz tried again and absently wondered if Prowl had ever bought anything. Yes, most mechlings had but Prowl had implied a few times that he'd had a very sheltered existence before his capture.

"An example?" Prowl asked as he continued to struggle.

"Here's an example that might make sense," Jazz said after a long thought. "Let's say I'm looking for a new chair and there's a designer I like that has a new collection that will match what I already have. That collection is selling very well in Tiger Pax but no one here is carrying it in store. If I order it from a store here in Iacon I'll most likely be charged as if it was a special order. If I contact a store in Tiger Pax the prices may be lower since several different stores are carrying it and I might find it on sale. At that point it may be cheaper to have it shipped here than to pay the special order fee."

He saw it click for Prowl with that.

"I expect it will be a long time before I am inclined to buy anything so specific," Prowl relaxed. It was still only an abstract understanding but it was enough for now.

"It'll be a long time before you have to buy your own energon and house yourself, but we want you to be prepared for events before they occur," Jazz grinned. "My own creators made me learn about expenses before I moved out of their house. We're responsible for your education and this is a big part of it."

"I appreciate the education. Would a ship be something best bought where they are built?" Prowl asked.

Jazz pondered a purchase he'd never thought about making for himself although he had started looking into it once Prowl revealed his desire to go home. "Most of the time I believe you would want to either buy that from a shipbuilding center directly or used at a large spaceport, although that is a purchase that you should definitely research before finally buying. It's possible you could find one for sale cheap in a small spaceport especially if it is something locals aren't interested in buying, but you run the risk of it not being in good condition."

He saw that cause something else to click for Prowl when the dragon nodded.

"I will begin studying the basics of spaceship maintenance. I should know how to fix it on my own," Prowl said mostly to himself. "I expect it will be centuries before I can afford one good enough for the trip."

"Learning how to repair it would be a very good idea," Jazz agreed readily. "You should also study navigation and piloting so you know how to fly it. It will take a long time to save up to get a good ship, but I don't think you'd want to take the normal routes to get enough shanix to speed up getting the ship. Everything I can think of would bring too much of the wrong kind of attention to you or be dangerous enough that you might not survive to go home."

"What would those things be?" Prowl asked, shifting uneasily.

"Mostly criminal activities or gladiatorial work," Jazz admitted. "On a more legal side of things you could look at joining certain government military agencies. Things more dangerous than law enforcement."

"I am not a criminal and _no_ ," Prowl said forcefully. "Soundwave saved me from the gladiatorial pits. I will not go willingly." He paused to think. "I would rather use my processor. I am smart."

"You are," Jazz smiled and relaxed, pleased that Prowl was as moral as he was. "There are ways to use your intelligence to get ahead although Soundwave will do a better job explaining those things to you. I know he does things with my earnings like investing in real estate although I don't understand how it all works. I know that the fastest ways tend to draw attention from mecha either wanting to know how you did it or wanting you to do it for them. I could also work with you to see if you have any musical talent; that's another way you could earn shanix especially since you already have a hook being a dragon."

"Exotic attracts attention," Prowl nodded. "I will ask Soundwave after I believe I understand orn to orn finances well enough. For now learning to balance earnings, energon cost and indulging is complicated enough," Prowl yawned and turned to his lounge.

Jazz smiled and stood after he'd settled to stroke his long neck. "What do you count as indulgences?"

"Being lazy, flying, studies that will not quickly benefit. Things I do not need but I want a great deal," Prowl willingly explained.

"Being lazy and flying shouldn't be outside your budget if you're careful. Studies can be expensive, but you can supplement with vids and datapads," Jazz grinned. "At least your tastes aren't leaning toward truly exotic items like art and off-world pets yet. Even relatively normal mechanimals like Loopy can be very expensive to maintain properly."

"Studying as I have been. A great deal of knowledge is free," Prowl rumbled happily for that truth. "I expect the most difficult balance will be between energon and saving for the ship. Hunger is a powerful drive."

"Hunger that is also being fueled by your desire to grow to adult size. That's why we're starting tomorrow with the cost of energon. Making mistakes here won't be a critical problem since you have us to fall back on; making mistakes out on your own can send you into a downward spiral that's hard to work your way back out of," Jazz agreed before voicing a stray thought. "You know, you might want to talk to Skyfire about stellar navigation given he's been to other worlds. He might be able to point you towards some free resources to get started on your studies."

"He likely does know them. He flies himself to many of the worlds he has been to," Prowl grinned. "He really is amazing to talk to. I am looking forward to when it is safe for us to socialize. He also understands how to function while being several times larger than the norm much as I will be. My biped form will not be as tall as he is but it will be too tall for my room."

"You'll need larger sized quarters so that is something you'll have to budget for as you mature," Jazz said mentally adding that information to the list of things they'd eventually have to add to Prowl's shanix training. "You're already good sized compared to me; it'll be interesting watching Soundwave look up to talk to you."

Prowl rumbled in amusement. "It will. Though it will be centuries before that happens in private. Rung has made a valid argument for using my biped alt in public once I am a free. I still doubt I will use it at home. Have you ever thought about flying with me?"

"Can you carry me safely? Because I don't have wings and couldn't use them right if I tried to add some," Jazz said with a small smile. He'd had to overcome some of the innate fear of heights most grounders possessed during his early vorns as an entertainer, but it didn't mean he was completely comfortable at the idea of flying. Still, it was an offer from Prowl and not something to take lightly.

"When I am an adult I should be able to. Twice that size I know I could. Ravage is as large as I should attempt to carry at this size," Prowl explained. "I could get you to the ground now. It has been mentioned you might enjoy a ride."

"That's good to know if something happens like a fire. Maybe we could plan a small descent with you carrying a minibot for a music vid?" Jazz said as he reached over to stroke Prowl's head. "We should hold off on me flying with you unless there's an emergency. I don't want to cause you any strain or injury."

"Or you," Prowl rubbed against his hand. "It is worth it in an emergency. A hard landing is better than a crash. I would carry a minibot in a vid."

"We can bring it up to Semblance. He's working on choreography for the next vid," Jazz continued stroking Prowl's head as the pair relaxed and waited for the rest of the family to get home.

* * *

Prowl reveled in the strong wings over Iacon. The city created thermals and strong updrafts even better than mountains did. Whether he hunted or just enjoyed Laserbeak's company it was good to fly. He'd been relieved when he calculated that he could afford the energon to fly as much as he usually did. Being lazy by nature had advantages; he didn't want to do energy-intensive things all that often. A hunter nature like a couple of his siblings would be much more difficult to fuel well.

He still enjoyed a hunt on the wing like any dragon. Especially things like the annoying pigeonoid flock launched into the air as his shadow passed overhead. A small dive and a snap of his jaws snagged a tasty, free snack. He could never get enough from pigenoids to cover the flight but ever bit helped and it was enjoyable. Laserbeak enjoyed it too which made it all the more fun.

A large number of powerful jet engines drawing closer refocused him on finding the source. Most fliers were good about avoiding him - he was large enough to register as a flight hazard - but the larger the group the more likely one of them wouldn't notice him until it was almost too late. He simply didn't have the speed or maneuverability to avoid something with engines.

~Incoming Seeker flock,~ Laserbeak said as she moved in closer to Prowl and hovered close to his head. It made her more obvious and also meant she was less likely to get hit or caught by someone's thruster trail. ~I'm surprised they're this close to the ground; Seekers usually prefer to avoid mixing with the rest of us.~

~They fly strangely.~ Prowl tried to pick out the pattern to the swirling mass of two dozen frames. They almost formed a moving sphere.

~Very strangely,~ Laserbeak agreed as she studied the group. ~Usually they're in a tight tri-formation. I wonder what's going on.~

A single individual pulled ahead of the group and headed rapidly towards them, scanning as they entered range. A deep voice called out to them, "Keep your pet from attacking our fledglings."

~Very young Seekers,~ Laserbeak translated for Prowl. "He will not attack," she promised the Seeker.

"I will not attack," Prowl promised for himself. Even as he angled his flight to give the group a very respectful distance he kept as close as he dared to the protective flock in hope of getting a good look at what such a young Seeker looked like. Now that they were closer he could make out several smaller fliers surrounded by what were now obviously adults. The protective formation made sense given the slight unsteadiness of the fledglings.

The adult Seeker kept his attention focused on Prowl even as he positioned himself between the pair and the larger group. "Your pet speaks? Are you certain it can control its hunting instinct?"

"Yes, he is quite intelligent. There's a big difference between a nuisance pigeonoid and an intelligent being," Laserbeak replied. "Prowl knows better than to attack without provocation."

"People are not fuel," Prowl added with a tone that implied it summarized the entire subject for him. He ducked his head to one side to catch a good look at the small Seeker-shaped fledglings. "They look like small people."

"Our offspring will eventually grow into full-sized Seekers," the Seeker confirmed as he watched Prowl's actions. The blatant lack of hostility was easing some of his tension but he was obviously on alert and ready for trouble.

Creators protecting their offspring; it was an attitude that Prowl could understand. In many ways the Seeker flock reminded him of home and how the entire clan cared for the eggs and raised the hatchlings. Yes the one who carried you was special but every dragon knew this sight and the society that created it.

His presence had finally caught the attention of one of the fledglings who almost flew into an adult while staring at him.

"I can land if they wish to meet," Prowl offered as he carefully kept the distance between them stable despite both sides wanting to be closer.

The Seeker paused for a long moment before eventually saying, "If you head slowly towards the ground it will allow the fledglings to see how you fly without turbines. My Vision says it will help them learn to predict non-powered fliers in the sky."

Prowl nodded and angled for a slow spiral down. He caught a couple thermals on the way to give them a clue that non-powered fliers didn't fly as predictably as powered ones. Thermals and updrafts mattered far more to Prowl than any Seeker.

~That was almost friendly for a Seeker,~ Laserbeak commented as she followed him down, keeping pace and an optic on the flock as they watched Prowl descend.

~They have offspring with them; most clans would be uneasy about a stranger but less likely to attack without cause,~ Prowl replied, privately hoping this meeting would help him sort out the differences between an Aerial and a Seeker. He got it right about seventy percent of the time on practice tests. It wasn't nearly good enough. ~I believe they are relaxing.~

~You're below them; it's harder for your flight type to reach their offspring from here and they know it,~ Laserbeak scoffed as Prowl finally came in for a landing. She settled on Prowl's back once he was grounded so they could continue to talk privately and watched the flock well above them.

~True. It seems Seeker fledglings are no easier to control then dragon younglings,~ Prowl snickered as the smaller frames tried several times to slip the protective formation to check him out. ~It took the entire clan to keep track of us all.~

~Hatchling, fledgling, youngling. What are the differences again?~ Laserbeak asked.

~A hatchling is from when one breaks out of the egg until they are half the size I was when we met and six thousand vorns old. A youngling is an unofficial term for a hatchling that has reached the size but not yet the age to be a yaro. Yaro are from half my size when we met to my size then and eight thousand vorns old. Yaro are like your mechlings. Active interface protocols but not adults, socially or legally.~

~So there can be a significant size difference between dragons even in the same clan.~

~Oh yes. Dragons never stop growing as long as we get enough fuel. The largest of us are taller than the tower we live in. Most clans have every size group most of the time.~ Prowl said. ~A clutch is usually half a dozen, though the largest dragons may have a score or more at once.~

~Oh,~ she had to try really, really hard to imagine a grounder large enough to look into their window. ~Most grounders tend to have single offspring; it's easier for a pair or trio to control one at a time,~ Laserbeak said as their contact landed closest to them while the rest of the flock set down a bit further away. She wasn't certain if it was completely out of the reach of his acid breath, but it was far enough away they could probably take to the sky before he could charge over. She shared a bit of her amusement with Prowl as the fledglings continued to try to slip past the adults to see the dragon. ~Do all offspring lack fear?~

~We are not doing anything to scare them,~ Prowl pointed out as the Seeker stepped closer and teeked them both _hard_. Prowl pushed back against the field on reflex and took a step back.

"Note this is all being recorded," the Seeker said before two others, each with their hands on a fledgling, let the excited youths come forward.

"Good orn. I'm Laserbeak and this is Prowl," Laserbeak said to the group. She wasn't completely comfortable talking to the Seekers since she preferred to be underestimated by outsiders, but she was registered as his owner's symbiot and was in charge right now. "He's a dragon from a world far away from Cybertron."

"I _told_ you they were real!" the darker fledgling crowed at his sibling.

"But not from Cybertron." the lighter one stuck out his glossa but his sibling wasn't paying any attention.

"I'm Aeroshock," the darker one got a step closer and reached out. "Can I pet?"

"Me too. I'm Coldsheen," the lighter one said as he reached out as well.

"Each of you extend your hand palm down and wait for him to sniff you. That's the best way to approach most mechanimals unless your told otherwise. Once he recognizes that you don't mean any harm it's okay to gently pet his head and neck," Laserbeak said deciding to use this as a practical lesson for the fledglings. She didn't think the Seekers would mind since it was pertinent to the current situation and very common advice. "Prowl won't attack but you don't want to startle a mechanimal. Most mecha will jump if you surprise them, but if you try to grab a cyber-cat it might scratch you because it's scared."

The pair nodded their wings eagerly and Aeroshock got close first to beat out his more scientific and much lighter built clutchmate. The young Seeker giggled at the tickling sensation of Prowl's serpent glossa before Prowl rubbed against the offered hand.

Aeroshock started stroking Prowl's neck as Coldsheen got a bit of confidence from his sibling's success and offered his own hand for Prowl to inspect. "His glossa is odd looking," Coldsheen said as he giggled at the tickling sensation.

"He's actually got a two-part glossa," Laserbeak explained as Prowl obliged by extending both for the youngster to see while still keeping his jaws as motionless as possible. "The smaller internal one is used to help smell things; the bigger one protects the smaller one and is used for fueling and talking."

"Really bright," Coldsheen grinned. "Wings provide your only power?"

"Yes," Prowl answered. "I need strong wings to fly easily."

"That'd be a hard way to fly," Aeroshock said as he continued petting Prowl's neck and stared at the wings that were so very different from his own. He was obviously tempted but was so far obeying Laserbeak's instructions. "Do all dragons talk?"

"His kind do and are very intelligent. I know some of the species that used to be native to Cybertron could," Laserbeak replied. She'd learned more about robodragons since Prowl had joined the family but Cybertronian wildlife was still more Ravage's interest than her own. She'd noticed that the adult Seekers seemed to be relaxing a tiny bit the longer the conversation went, but they were all still very watchful.

"Does your owner let you fly enough?" Clearsheen asked Prowl in a whisper that wasn't nearly quiet enough.

Prowl's field stroked him affectionately. "Yes. I am allowed to fly when I wish. They take good care of me."

"He's passed the E-F certification and can fly with me whenever we want," Laserbeak explained as she flicked her own wings. "We understand the importance of instincts especially those involving flight."

"May I touch?" Aeroshock said as he stared at Prowl's wings.

"Carefully," Prowl said. "Please avoid touching my tail." He waggled the glowing ball.

"Thank you," Aeroshock moved down to examine how Prowl's wings went together by touch.

Prowl was careful to show the movements and where joints were without knocking either youth over. It was strange to be touched, manipulated and examined and not feel stressed about it. This honest curiosity was so much like his own and even more innocent.

"Now, Prowl isn't quite an adult just yet and is going to get a lot bigger as he gets older," Laserbeak said to the fledglings just to see the adult Seekers' reaction to the news.

Coldsheen paused in his exploration briefly and the adults looked a mixture of surprised and disturbed.

"How big will he get?" Coldsheen asked.

"Eventually I could get very large, but it will take a long time," Prowl said. "It will be a while before Jazz could safely ride on me during a flight. Have you seen one of Jazz's vids? He is a musician."

"Soundwave bought Prowl for Jazz partially to keep him from being sold to the gladiator pits as an exotic fighter," Laserbeak explained to the Seekers. "We're taking care of him and helping him adjust to being on Cybertron. He didn't speak Imperial Standard when we got him, but he's almost fluent now."

"Wow," Coldsheen murmured before his wings began to twitch, caught between his desire to fly and his desire to continue examining this unique creature.

"It's time we go home." one of the adults spoke with the firmness of command.

"Perhaps we will see you again," Prowl bid the reluctant pair farewell.

"I hope so," Aeroshock said before reluctantly joining the adults so they could continue flying.

* * *

::Soundwave, may I speak with you?:: Prowl politely. It was unusual for this joor though not unprecedented.

::Prowl: entrance permitted,:: Soundwave answered as he set aside his work. Normally the dragon respected the sanctity of his office and questions waited until family time. Whatever was bothering the dragon was more important than the current paperwork before him.

"Thank you, Soundwave. I believe I understand shanix, my potential income and expenditures and even if I manage to hold myself to starvation rations I would be old enough to be an Elder before I saved enough for the ship. What I know is not sufficient," Prowl explained his distress.

"Prowl: supplement income with investments," Soundwave suggested having thought about this potential issue and done some thinking about ways to help with this problem. "Possibilities: real estate, investments and speculation."

The dragon nodded and then thought about it. "How is speculation different from the other two?"

"Real estate: purchase physical property hope for increase in value. Physical investments: purchase product and sell for profit," Soundwave explained. "Speculation: stock market or companies. Shanix invested in companies or idea development. Income generated from profits."

"I do not know how to sell products. The others sound expensive to begin investing in," Prowl ran the ideas through what he knew with full awareness that he knew very little. "Is there a way to learn without risking real shanix?"

"Soundwave: create different markets for Prowl's training shanix account," Soundwave suggested thinking about ways to do this that wouldn't take extensive amounts of research but would provide enough accuracy to be useful. The best option was likely going to be using data from past vorns. The Imperial Stock Exchange had hundreds of centuries to draw on.

"Thank you," Prowl perked up and settled on his hindquarters so he could use his claw-fingers to explore the basics on the datapad training game. "Are these realistic prices? Only a few shanix for a share?"

"Share prices: shanix depends upon company. Price variance: projected profits, growth, bankruptcy, buy-outs, mergers, and other options. Stocks: combination economics, psychology and probability," Soundwave explained trying to get across the basics of what was actually an unbelievably complex system.

Prowl was still for several long kliks as he read, processed and made sure he understood. Eventually he focused on Soundwave once more. "If I start over will the events change?"

"Affirmative. Program: randomly selects the starting date when the simulation begins."

"Thank you. I will study and learn. It cannot be more difficult to understand than theoretical physics," Prowl grinned at him and subspaced the pad before dropping to all fours to leave.

"Prowl: enjoy," Soundwave said as he waited for Prowl to leave before returning to his work. Hopefully this project would go well and Prowl would discover a form of investment he enjoyed.

* * *

After thirty vorns with Jazz's family Prowl was quite used to these vornly meetings where they covered major known events coming up, any changes expected in finances, new laws that affected them and everything else important to occasionally touch on with everyone there. While Laserbeak and Ravage found them dull Prowl was still fascinated by the entire concept and the reasoning behind various choices.

"The most recent album is still selling well so the royalties will help us stay comfortable for a while. My agent thinks I should do a tour including Vos and Helex since this is the third album that has a flight theme to it. If he can find enough venues interested it would make Prowl and I some good shanix," Jazz said wrapping up his part of the financial and logistical side of things. He smiled softly that the excitement in Prowl was from the idea of performing more than shanix.

"Family finances: solid. Prowl: feels ready to invest with real shanix?" Soundwave asked.

The dragon cycled his optics and thought about it. It had been more than three vorns since he'd had to start over and while the early failure rate was still unsettling he had done well lately.

"If you believe my results are good enough. I do not succeed as well as I would like yet," Prowl said carefully.

"Investments: always risky. Soundwave: believes Prowl is ready," Soundwave gently reminded Prowl. "Practice: training for real life."

"You'll have to watch the news to see how events will impact the Investment Markets," Ravage pointed out. "Otherwise it will be a lot like what we've been doing for a while now."

Prowl nodded. "How will I manage my investments given I am still legally a pet?"

"Soundwave is going to start up an account under my designation and you are going to manage it," Jazz said with a grin. "It will be linked to the same account where we keep things like your payments for the album work."

"Excellent," Prowl grinned back and wiggled his wings in excitement. "I am looking forward to going home sooner."

"Something that is also a possibility if things go well would be that we hire you unofficially to run some of our family's investments," Jazz suggested. "The salary could be added to your funds."

"If I become skilled enough I would welcome the job," Prowl kept his excitement reasonably controlled.

* * *

Skyfire watched his guests come in for a landing on his balcony. He'd been anxious to finally be able to have Prowl visit without having his sentience proceedings hanging over their interactions. Personally he thought the proceedings were ridiculously drawn out given Prowl's spark and natural intellect, but he was used to the intense bureaucracy and politics involved with interstellar races. He'd gotten to see Prowl fly and land once before when he'd spent the night in the lab but it was nothing compared to this free flight from a distance and requiring a fairly precise landing. His balcony was large, suited to his size, but it was tiny compared to the institute's roof.

"Skyfire!" Prowl's greeting was as he came level with Skyfire's helm rather than when he landed far below.

"Good orn, Prowl, Laserbeak," Skyfire said as the pair as they landed. "I'm pleased we could finally get together socially. Would the two of you like a snack? I have some crisps if you are interested."

"Yes, please," Prowl still couldn't turn down fuel in any form but he was genuinely happy to be offered fuel by a mech he liked.

"Yes. A snack before flying home would be nice," Laserbeak chirped, happy to ride on Prowl's shoulder and take note of how much more relaxed the dragon held his wings here in a space design for something larger than an adult dragon.

Skyfire brought over a plate of aluminum dusted crisps and placed them on the table next to them. "These should tide us over for a bit. Now, how are you doing? The two of you seem to be flying well together."

"Thank you," Laserbeak trilled before separating one crisp to nibble on it.

"I am very well. Rung had a job to do but is also took time to help me deal with some traumas, especially the attack on the apartment. The new xeno-biologist does not seem to like me as much though they have not done anything unreasonable," Prowl rattled off what came to mind. "It feels good to be able to fly every orn and go largely where I please. I am enjoying working the stock market as well. It is a very complex thing."

"Having them not like you personally is frustrating but also means it would be harder to claim bias on the results," Skyfire said with a sigh. "I'm glad Rung has been able to help you deal with the trauma of the attack. The stock market is something I rarely indulge in since it is rather complex."

"You have more important things to think about. For me it is an effective way to earn a good income without having to deal with the prejudice of a face-to-face job," Prowl explained between crisps.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with those prejudices," Skyfire said with genuine sympathy as he carefully picked up a crisp and snacked on it. "At least you have this option to earn shanix."

"What are you working on now?" Laserbeak asked. She hadn't had as much contact with Skyfire, but she had heard a lot about him from Prowl and was impressed with his genuine interest in the dragon as something other than a test subject.

"I just came back from a six vorn visit to Evidran Three," Skyfire smiled. "It is amazing how quickly organic species evolve physically and socially."

"Are they developing technology like weapons yet?" Prowl asked curious about the species he'd seen in the documentary.

"Oh yes, though everything is still hand crafted. They do not have industry yet and I'm not sure they are inclined to. Often species with such advanced natural weapons and armor prefer to trade for the few items of advanced technology they find useful enough to use." Skyfire smiled fondly for the small, incredibly fierce creatures that had achieved sentience less than one hundred and twenty vorns ago. "The primary focus since I left the first time has been to develop weapons against metal and defense against energy weapons. Even so such things only take up a small portion of their focus. They want to be able to fight us when we force it."

"They already consider us threats to their lifestyle or are just preparing for the possible future?" Laserbeak asked.

"They should consider Cybertronians threats to their future," Prowl said with a small grunt of distaste.

Skyfire claimed another crisp and relaxed on the couch sized for him. "As I understand it they have the standard alpha predator's distress at meeting something they can't kill. The handful of native creatures in that category are given a wide berth and at least one has its feeding grounds as a forbidden place."

"Avoiding aggressive predators is a good idea. You'll stay online longer," Laserbeak said with the wisdom of someone much smaller than those around her.

"Is the forbidden place the home of that plant?" Prowl asked remembering the rather frightening moment in the documentary when it struck.

"Yes, though it is not the plant that is why. It is the beast that feeds on that plant, among others," Skyfire chuckled. "It's an utterly harmless beast other than the fact that it's nearly my mass with very hard skin a full mechameter thick and no care for what it might step on."

"It's skin is thicker than me," Laserbeak said with a bit of awe and fear in her voice.

"I can understand why they would avoid it," Prowl said imagining encountering something that much larger than himself and trying to be trampled by it. It made him once again thankful that he was created with wings. "Even most pai dragons would give something like that a wide berth."

Skyfire gave a momentary pause to compare the size of the two and nodded. Prowl had mentioned several times that it was rare for a dragon to go after prey larger than a third their size. "I don't doubt it. I've noticed that you still don't use contractions. Is there a reason?"

"I do not like them," Prowl shrugged his wings and politely offered the last crisp to Laserbeak. "I can understand them. Most languages I know do not use them."

"I just consider it a language quirk like how Soundwave speaks and rarely think about it," Laserbeak said as she thanked Prowl with a small wing dip and took the crisp pleased at the proof of Prowl's progress regarding fuel. She made a mental note to be certain to return the favor within the next orn or two with something more substantial than a crisp.

"It marks your speech as more formal than most but isn't too unusual especially when Imperial Standard isn't your primary language," Skyfire agreed. "Have you given any thought about the next subject you want to study?"

"Astronomy," Prowl said firmly. "I want to be able to track my location from now on."

"You expect to travel or in case you are captured again?" Skyfire asked.

"Both, though mostly the second. The larger I am the less likely it is, though it is still a risk. May places do not care what my species or individual status is."

"True, although having sentient status as a species will help you in the Empire since it will keep you from being claimed again as a pet," Skyfire pointed out before glancing over at Laserbeak. "Once Prowl is legally transferred to actual slave status your family can help him obtain foreigner status which will give even more protections."

"That's our intended goal," Laserbeak agreed. "We want Prowl to be safe and happy."

"And I wish to be productive as well," Prowl added. "By the time Dragons of Hausnest are listed as sentient I will be able to function on my own. Part of the economic education includes practical lessons in how to decide how much fuel to consume and what kind."

"That's something I wish every creator taught their creations," Skyfire agreed. "Most Shuttles have lessons on fuel management but I've seen too many recent adults head out on their own and fail to take into account fuel costs. Have you figured out what you're going to do for living space?"

"It depends a great deal on what I can earn and what is offered. My inclination is to come to a rental agreement with Jazz. For all I am confident I could survive on my own if need be it feels ... unnatural to leave. Dragons do not have the same concept of what one does when one becomes an adult as most here. Few dragons ever leave home in the manner it is meant here. Moving typically means moving to a larger den rather than moving away from family." Prowl tried to explain. "We are more like Seekers that way. Most will spend their entire existence in the same mauna."

"Mauna?" Skyfire asked as he ran a quick check to see if the term had been used before.

"Home mountain," Prowl tried his best guess at translating. "Each clan has one and most dragons of that clan live in or near it."

"It does sounds a bit like Seeker eyries," Skyfire agreed with a small nod. "Based on our earlier conversations I don't think you form trines that move into your equivalent of an Order's mauna."

"Jazz and Soundwave won't have an issue setting up a rental agreement. You might talk to them about including it in your guard contract when they hire you," Laserbeak suggested. "Live in guards aren't that unusual for entertainers and other celebrities."

"We do not form trines," Prowl confirmed to Skyfire before focusing on Laserbeak. "Thank you. I will remember that when we discuss it."

"It'll change the salary they offer, but it should balance out for you in the end since rent will include basic solvents and electricity to run vid players and other devices," Laserbeak said before chuckling. "Although if you start getting crazy with your purchases of entertainment equipment that it jumps the electrical bill they may put an additional fee clause in the contract. Skyfire, do you have any new possibilities for vids with Hound coming up? Ravage really enjoyed the last one about Evidran Three."

"That is Jazz's interest," Prowl flicked a wing at her teasing. "I doubt continuing education costs more electricity than watching vids."

"Not yet though I expect we'll collaborate again. There are only so many of us that are willing to be filmed," Skyfire chuckled.

"Does the filming impact your scientific work?" Prowl asked.

"It can make it easier to get funding since it helps give designation recognition, but anyone being recorded for a program has to be careful what programs they are associated with and the views espoused during the program," Skyfire explained. "I examine contracts closely to try to keep my statements from being taken out of context."

"I can understand that. Beings often take their beliefs far outside where they belong," Prowl rustled his wings in annoyance of the truth of it. "Do those filming pay for part of the expedition?"

"Many of the expeditions are primarily for the purposes of filming with scientific research being a distant second," Skyfire admitted. "I try to avoid those if I can since there is often a political or social agenda behind the filming. Hound avoids those as well and tries to do scientific research first so I can usually trust that I'll agree with anything he wants to film. Those are usually filmed with grants, sponsors or with advertisers paying most of the bills. The Orszem was a partial exception for him since everything had to be approved by Lord Domingo, but the overall work was thorough and relatively balanced. There was a lot more stress on the danger of the environment than I would normally like but in that case it was necessary."

"It really was a dangerous as it looked?" Prowl shivered at the thought. "Are the places you explore often dangerous?"

"Not like that although I'm large enough that many dangers will avoid me," Skyfire said. "From what I've studied of the orszem they are at least as dangerous as the vid showed and possibly worse in the wrong circumstances. I studied the antroids for a bit and if I hadn't seen the coding I wouldn't have believed that was their species type."

"On that cheery note, I'll take my leave of you both," Laserbeak said with a shiver. "Let me know when you're ready to come home if you want me to meet you."

"I'd fly with him," Skyfire asked and offered. "It's not often I get to fly with someone with such a different propulsion system."

"I don't mind," Prowl said and looked to Laserbeak for the choice.

"I'll leave him in your charge then," Laserbeak said with a grin and took off after sending Skyfire the necessary authorization to fly with a licensed mechanimal.

Once Laserbeak had left Skyfire said, "This will not leave the two of us unless you want it to. Are they truly treating you well?"

"Very well," Prowl answered with all the sincerity he possessed pushed into his field and tail ball and reached out with it for Skyfire to teek. He caught the thought before Skyfire said it and chuckled. "No dragon ever thinks they gets enough fuel. We are coded to prioritize growth. If allowed a dragon will do nothing except drink the most concentrated fuel possible and recharge. I do get enough to grow at a respectable rate, which is a more accurate gauge of 'enough' for us."

"At least you are gaining mass now. If you don't mind I'll unofficially continue to monitor you to determine how efficient your development is compared to your intake. It's a fascinating design that I've seen occasionally in other species but never to this degree," Skyfire said relaxing at the assurance. "I have heard good things about Jazz and was reassured by his attitude toward Ravage and Laserbeak, but I wanted to be certain you were safe. To some there is a difference between symbiots and slaves."

"I do not mind. Legally I'm not a slave yet. Why use so much energy to change me to one when a pet has even fewer rights?" Prowl asked and relaxed on a chair designed for Skyfire and thus large enough for him to spread out in.

"I'm very glad they found you, and I wish they could simply free you and expect you to safely make it home. Unfortunately if they let you go right now someone would simply capture you and sell you again as a pet to someone else who'd want to keep you," Skyfire actually grumbled as he continued. "The politicians have decreed that this is how the process must work. They don't actually care about the scientific reasoning behind what we do. I put some blame the Functionalists; they don't like anything that challenges their view of how Cybertronians should behave. They occasionally give me problems with being a scientist although I do somewhat fit their views given that I focus on exploration and discoveries away from Cybertron and that is what my frame is designed for. They may not hold much power but they have enough to be a pain in the thrusters."

Prowl snickered and flapped his wings in good humor. "Just remember they are cowards. Only those who are afraid of everything feel the need for that much control of others. It seems true with many races. I think you feel confident because you accept those who are different."

"I hadn't thought of them that way."Skyfire said with a chuckle. "Some of them remind me of noisy avianoids trying to drive everything away from their nests. Others are more like ravengers that try to bully other predators away from their fuel."

"All fear. Fear the other will harm them. Fear they cannot make their own kill. Fear of hunger," he shivered faintly. "I know that one intimately. I lost almost half my mass to hunger before Soundwave found me. It is a potent force; the fear of hunger."

"If I have anything to say about it you won't ever starve like that again," Skyfire promised. "I've been in situations out on trips where I went hungry for a time. If you ever reach that point again let me know."

"Thank you. I will." Prowl promised with a nova's worth of warmth in his field. "Once I am free come to me if you need shelter or fuel. I will share what I have."

"Thank you," Skyfire said, touched that Prowl was willing to even offer to share fuel in the future given his issues with past starvation. "You're one of the few friends I have that will eventually grow to my size. It would be nice to be able to look at someone without having to stare down at the floor."

"If I do well in time I will look down at you just as far as you did at me the orn we met," Prowl wiggled his wings happily and forced the last of the pain of hunger from his mind. He had plenty now. He would do well enough on the exchange to always have plenty. "Though that will be a very long time. Adults grow slowly."

"I still say it's a good thing you do slow down or you'd all eventually outgrow your planet," Skyfire said agreeably. "I've seen some mechanimals and organics that continue to grow their entire lifespans, and they also seem to slow down as time passes."

"Even if we did not think about it we cannot outgrow our resources. If there is not enough fuel those who do not get enough lose mass so they do not need as much. It is very unpleasant but it does work," Prowl reminded him.

Skyfire nodded at the reminder. "How small can a dragon be and still be active?"

Prowl had to think, then cast about on the datanet for 'tiny creatures' for a while. "Perhaps a glitch mouse. Perhaps a little smaller. Much smaller than a hatchling fresh from the shell."

"Even your youngest can survive by shrinking if there is little fuel? That's impressive and disturbing at the same time," Skyfire said. "Still it's better to shrink than to starve."

"When it was happening I would have strongly disagreed with you, though now that I have fuel I agree," Prowl nodded and sprawled a little more, reveling in this place build so much more like home. "I do not know if a true hatchling could survive it. Only that more mature dragons can get that small. The newly hatched are not yet fully developed."

"Trying to develop while starving causes problems for almost every species I've encountered regardless of whether they are organic or technological," Skyfire agreed. "I know of a few that simply stop developing until conditions improve but even for them it's slow going and a hard time."

"I image so. It seems very unlikely to happen. If the carrier does not have enough energon the eggs will be used to fuel the carrier. If there are not good prospects to support them hatchlings would never be approved," Prowl spoke as he thought. "Perhaps if there was a sudden disaster. Even then the unhatched are unlikely to hatch. Eggs are important but large adults are far, far more important to us. Perhaps if the disaster struck just as the eggs were hatching it would be discovered how they would react to hunger in that first decade or two until their wings are developed enough to fly."

"Let's hope that particular set of conditions never happens," Skyfire said with a small shiver. "To do so deliberately would be incredibly cruel to such small, promising beings."

"Agreed. It is wrong on so many levels," Prowl quivered at the thought of _hunger_ in those first vorns. "Nothing good would come of it. A starving dragon is a vicious dragon."

"A starving anything can be vicious; herbivore or predator can be dangerous when they have nothing to lose. It's one of the things I know of that nearly every sentient species fears," Skyfire agreed looking melancholy for a moment. "I've seen species lost to starvation on worlds far from here. I sometimes wonder if that's partly why there are so few Jurassanoids and dragons left on Cybertron. Maybe we've starved them out."

"Starved, hunted or pushed them out," Prowl shrugged with a flicker of dark hate in his field. "Nothing very large survives in numbers anywhere Cybertronians go from what I have seen. In Prima's time this was a lush world by your own accounts. Now it is barely more than a ship caught in a gravity well." He shook his helm sharply. "New subject. Do you have a lover?"

"I've had a few although I don't have anyone serious at the moment," Skyfire said grateful for the change of topic. He wasn't certain why he'd gotten so melancholy, but Prowl was a reminder of the beauty that was so rare here now. "There's a lovely mech that makes delivery runs through Iacon every view decaorns. He's a fun companion who wants nothing serious right now."

"Always good to have such easy lovers," Prowl relaxed again. "Just how common are exclusive relationships?"

"That depends upon what you consider an exclusive relationship. Even most bonded mates occasionally take a lover or two. Seekers for example have some of the most convoluted relationships I've ever seen," Skyfire said with flick of his wings.

Prowl just stared for a long moment. Turned what Skyfire said over several times and gave up. "Exclusive: limited to the people involved in the relationship. No outside lovers. That is the definition."

"Well, for example some bond mates are exclusive with their sparks but not with tactile interface," Skyfire said with a chuckle and a small wave of apology. "If you mean strictly exclusive in every way, no most do not hold to that standard."

"Then what is the purpose of a status that is supposedly exclusive if it is not?" Prowl struggled. "I understand conjunx endura meaning they have a spark bond, but what purpose does conjunx serve if not to warn others away?"

"For some the status of conjunx means that the mecha in question is valued above others and naming that status marks the chosen as the most important being in their existence," Skyfire smiled and tried to figure out how to explain what was just a normal part of the social structure. "Some cities have a cultural standard that conjunx endura can share a partner in a threesome but they do not interface without their conjunx being involved. Other areas consider it appropriate to get the approval of your conjunx before interfacing with an outside lover. I know of one colony world which allows multiple mates for high-ranked mecha. In that society the title of conjunx is given to a love match rather than mating for duty or political ties. The political mates are ranked in a hierarchy of status but a conjunx is considered to be in a separate category.

"Across all cultures is imperial law that defines conjunx and conjunx endura in legal terms. A conjunx has legal rights to property and shanix use, medical decisions, creations and inheritance without taxation that even a permanent exclusive lover does not. The same glyph can have many meanings depending on the subtleties and context and most modern speakers are lazy about how they say it and only use the basic glyph. With enough practice or research you'll be able to catch the subtle variations when they are used." He let Prowl chew on that for a while and stood to get a platter of treats.

Between the nebula swirls, chocotar balls, crispy gels, crusted jellies, atelixi balls, mineral treat, drop jellies, banded energon balls and statia he'd gotten half a dozen of everything in the sweet shop. It had been a lot of fun selecting so much variety with the excuse of company to try new things.

Prowl looked about ready to speak when his nose twitched and his entire focus snapped to the tray and the scent of real fuel.

"Have you tried any of these before? I know you prefer sour and sweet treats so I tried to get things that would be palatable to both of us," Skyfire asked as he showed Prowl the tray and watched the dragon's reaction to the display. The other advantage of buying treats for Prowl was that he had an appetite to match or beat a shuttle so Skyfire didn't have to worry about him either getting overcharged or an upset fuel tank. He could always comm Jazz if Prowl got too full and needed to recharge.

"Most of them," Prowl trilled eagerly and went right for an atelixi ball with its mix of rust, sweet, savory and spicy with an incredible kick from the jet high grade jellied inside. "Tasting menus are so much fun. Even when I don't like something I like that I tried it."

"Do you have any favorites you can't find here?" Skyfire asked. "I mean from home or things you ran across on other planets?"

"I have never been that attached to what my fuel is," Prowl said as he thought back. "There are many things I would eat if they were available. Nothing I miss. Though if I get home I want to hunt for no-horns."

"Are they challenging or do they just taste good?" Skyfire asked. "Do they taste anything like any of the breeds of metalcattle we have here?"

"I have never been allowed to hunt anything challenging," Prowl snorted without upset. "I was far too young to hunt anything that could do more than dent me. Creator would not allow it. I do not know if they taste like the local metalcattle. The only creature larger than a mouthful I have gotten to hunt was a jump deer when we went hunting with Lord Tracks. That was fun," he wiggled in remembered delight. "I caught many little things." He paused to think back. "Zip hares and turborabbits. It was great fun and tasty. I catch a lot of birds in the city." He thought some more, remembering what small game tasted like back home and here. "There are definite similarities. The energon in them is the same. The metals are similar for the most part. Exact tastes vary from area to area on Hausnest. I would classify the differences as similar. Every region has its own blend of minerals that affects the taste of the creatures that eat of it."

"I've noticed that sometimes that taste of fuel varies based upon what the mechanimal consumes be it plants or other mechanimals," Skyfire agreed having fueled off of creatures on many different worlds. "According to Hound the mechanimals from the estate the orszem inhabit taste bitter, spoiled and typically have a spicy flavor. It's definitely an acquired taste and not something I fancy trying. I've been on planets where everything was so sweet a Polyhexian would consider it a dessert."

"Most worlds were more bland than those," Prowl hummed. "The hardest fuel to get down were the organics. I was hungry enough to manage but fish taste _awful_."

"I've only had to consume actual organics on the rare occasion I ran low on fuel at the end of an exploration trip. Most of them are fairly hard to consume," Skyfire agreed not wanting to think about having to exist on such fuels for long vorns. "It's too bad you don't have the ability to partially supplement your fuel intake through solar processing like a reptile. I've thought about trying to have something like that installed during a particularly long expedition to cut down on my fuel requirements, but every system I've seen isn't efficient enough to make it worth my expenses."

Prowl cycled his optics. "Mecha can process organics as fuel?"

"Only a handful of us have the upgrade. Most are explore frames like myself and Hound. It is horribly inefficient, though it's easier if you're starting with vegetation from a technorganic world or someplace heavily metallic-based. Those can be processed into a sludge that will run anyone with an explorer frame although it does make us nauseous. It won't run a high performance frame and most mecha can't process any of it. Most modern mecha can't even process the full carcass of a domestic mechanimal. It is far more complex than processing energon so few bother with the expense." Skyfire explained.

"Ah. Something to do with cities and civilization?" Prowl ventured.

"I believe so. I know the groups that still have the systems standard are largely those who expect to live off the land and anything they can catch rather than a dispenser like you've seen at Jazz's home." Skyfire nodded.

"That is why real fuel, things killed or pick from plants, is so expensive?" Prowl asked. He like the stuff he'd tasted but not enough to spend so much on it.

"Mmm, perhaps, though I believe the price is more a reflection of the time, land and people required to produce it. Land is very expensive on Cybertron," Skyfire added. "I think it's also one reason why beastformers are so rare now; most beastformers prefer to consume real fuel so that expense and rarity is a big issue for them. There are not enough wild spaces left for most of the larger ones which I know causes problems."

Prowl nodded. "The same issue mechanimals face. Even the ones with plenty of space have to contend with being there just to amuse nobles shooting them. Lord Tracks didn't want anything but the antlers of what we caught. It seems so very wasteful to leave so much behind."

"At least the scrap vultures and turbofoxes got to consume that carcass although it would have been better if you'd been able to eat part of it," Skyfire sighed. "I've heard of much worse with nobles hunting down whole herds just for the thrill."

Prowl twitched as his processor simply refused to contemplate that. It wasn't even horror. He truly could not comprehend catching so much and not _feasting_. His attention on the outside world dimmed, fading to indistinct grays and he swayed when the pain hit from his processors beginning to overheat. It wasn't enough to cause him to cry out but it was enough he was no longer completely connected to his frame.

Skyfire was surprised when Prowl didn't verbally react to his comment on such excessive waste. Looking over, he grew concerned at the vacantness in the dragon's optics. "Prowl? Prowl? Can you hear me?"

No response. Prowl's teek was sharp with heat-pain but saturated with confusion-incomprehension. There was a reaction in that field though, a reflexive grabbing at Skyfire's field in a desperate effort to ground Prowl in the here-and-now.

Uncertain what to do, Skyfire forced his field steady and let his feelings of friendship with Prowl remain at the forefront. He decided to try something he'd read about after realizing how badly Prowl had been traumatized by the apartment assault. Trying to keep his voice as steady as he could he started talking. "Your designation is Prowl. You are currently living with Jazz, Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak in a condo. Laserbeak likes to fly with you and brought you here earlier for a visit. My designation is Skyfire. I consider us friends and potential future colleagues. You are in my apartment and have been talking with me. There are treats on a tray next to you that we have been sharing."

The pain didn't abate and within half a klik there was the distinctive click and sudden lax frame of a hard shutdown. Only critical systems rebooted and loudest of them was what was normally one of the quieter pumps in the frame; the coolant system.

Skyfire dithered for a nanoklik or two debating on what to do. Prowl was hot to the touch and it worried him. He kept up his running monologue as he carefully picked up the lax frame. Heading into the wash rack he gently placed Prowl on the floor near the door and started up the shower at a lukewarm temperature. He didn't want to deal with a startled dragon accidentally attacking so he started wetting towels and placing the now cool, damp cloths on the dragon's neck and back.

It only took kliks for Prowl to cool down and then the boot sequence began for non-vital systems and finally his processor. It was Prowl's teek, aching and disoriented that marked his first real step back to awareness. His field soon was latched on to Skyfire's as a guide through the disorienting boot.

"What happened?" Prowl eventually asked in Primal Vernacular between pops of static.

Skyfire sorted out what Prowl had said and, wanting to know how Prowl's processor was doing, replied in Imperial Standard, "You locked up and eventually collapsed. Your frame overheated during the process. Do you remember anything?"

Prowl stilled as he tracked down the language he was spoken to in, linked it again his primary one and loaded up his last memory for view.

"The last thing I said was 'Lord Tracks didn't want anything but the antlers of what we caught. It seems so very wasteful to leave so much behind.' Whatever came next made my processor hurt too much to cope with. It is a statement best avoided."

"I know what happened and I'll avoid repeating that conversation with you. I have to report this to Soundwave and Jazz including what I said," Skyfire said gently. "They'll need to take you to the vet to see if anything was damaged during the incident. Do you want me to take you home now or do you want to remain and recover a bit?"

"I'd prefer to fly myself home. So remain for a while. I understand. They should know. I do not know why it happened," Prowl relaxed with a plan in place and carefully began to get his pedes under him once he could hold his head up steadily. "I am sorry to worry you."

"Better it happened here than out in public although it would be better to have not happened at all," Skyfire replied. "Do you want more cooling cloths? Or is it time to dry you off?"

"I would prefer to be dry and a coolant to drink," Prowl said firmly. "Thank you," he added when the cloths were taken off and blowers came on. This heat felt good. The moving air felt good.

Once Prowl was dry again Skyfire decided to make an offer. "I have some meshes if you want to bundle up in the chair and continue talking. Sometimes I like feeling cozy when a virus hits and I'm recovering."

"I would like that," Prowl nuzzled him. "I like you."

"I enjoy your company too," Skyfire replied as he grabbed several mesh blankets and bustled Prowl back into the chair. After thoroughly wrapping the dragon up but leaving the end of his tail clear, Skyfire went into his small kitchen area and fixed up a cooling drink in a cube. His own personal drinking vessels were large enough that Prowl had little issue using them.

"What places in Iacon do you enjoy visiting?" Prowl asked when he was given the drink and thanked Skyfire for it with his field.

"The Archives and the science halls at the academy to talk to my colleagues especially after a long trip on an expedition," Skyfire answered readily. "There is a beautiful crystal garden in the Old District that has wide enough paths that I'm not likely to damage anything. It's rather overgrown and less well known than some of the others, but I like seeing it in its close-to-natural state. I can usually hear more small avianoids there since it's so peaceful. There's also a small oil pool that usually has a lot of robofrogs and lightening flies around as well as a few fish. Those help eat all the rust-mosquitoes that would normally breed in the pool. I've even seen a fronded oil-salamandroid or two there on occasion."

"It sounds lovely," Prowl greeted the suggestions warmly. "Is the Archive open to all?"

"Parts of it are. Other sections require arrangements be made in advance and some are truly restricted. It is much like knowledge in general in the empire," Skyfire smiled at his companion's love of learning. "There are some interesting ancient star maps and the like that you could take a look at since you like astronomy so much. Once you reach Resident status you'll have even better access to the Archives."

"Are they interesting for how much the stars have moved or because they are truly inaccurate?" Prowl asked with real curiosity. "I'm sure the stars have moved a great deal since records began."

"A combination of both things really," Skyfire explained. "Tracking how the stars have moved and changed does help with planning interstellar travel. The inaccuracies are entertaining and enlightening about the thoughts of the mecha of the time. You can find speculation about the homes of space whales and stellar ophidians, and even labels with what turned out to be mythical civilizations and colony worlds."

Prowl's optics glittered with amusement when he paused drinking. Then he hummed thoughtfully. "It is rather strange to think of history as something that wasn't witnessed by the living, or at the very worst memories passed down two or three generations. There really is history that is not _known_?"

"There is a lot of history that is uncertain especially from the times of the earlier Primes," Skyfire replied, hesitating for a moment before continuing. "Many generations have passed so memories fade, and records were occasionally destroyed during wars. You also have the issue that the winners are the ones who typically write history. Mecha have a tendency to cover up their own flaws while highlighting the perceived flaw of the losers. The priests do their best to maintain truth, but those realities still shades the clarity that the records are supposed to show."

Prowl nodded slowly, thinking about politics on a scale he never bothered with before. It had never been his future so he only needed to know the basics. He could see it though when he tried. When he returned home his descriptions of Cybertron, its government and people would be deeply colored by his status. The same would be true of the other races he'd encountered. Even if his memories were held perfectly and never lost he was only aware of so much. His youth affected how he thought and recalled as well. It was a deeply unsettling idea that history might not be as well recorded as he believed.

"Are there any places you recommend I visit once I am allowed?" he moved on to more immediate concerns, even if 'immediate' was likely decades away.

"Around Iacon, I can give you a list of museums and interesting snack shops. I'd like to go flying with you and show off some of the few wilder areas around Iacon like the larger oil lakes to the south. There are still some jump deer around that you could hunt, and the lake often has flocks of turbo-geese," Skyfire picked up a chocotar ball and ate it. "Someday you and your family should take a trip over to Caperil in Ankmor Park. It's not as dangerous as Csillagos Szentély, but it is still an open wild area that you could explore."

"I would enjoy that and the museums. A great deal can be learned from the datanet but sometimes seeing something changes your perspective on it completely," Prowl grinned at him and reached out from his nest to snag a sticky layered bar. "I'd like to know your favorite treat shops as well. They will have things more suited to me than what Jazz prefers."

"We'll definitely need to drop by The Rust Stick; it's one of the more popular candy shops and has a wide selection. There's also a few places that open up in the Oquim Public Market that carry seasonal, exotic and festival treats depending upon the stall. It's worth a wander through especially if you want something from a colony," Skyfire said.

Prowl shivered and focused on a treat as a distraction and his tail orb flashed a pale green. "I am not sure I am ready to face that place again. The Rust Stick sounds good."

"Sorry, I forgot you were purchased there," Skyfire said chastising himself for the suggestion. "We'll definitely need to stop by The Rust Stick. We could also make a habit of checking out different shops and finding new favorites."

"I would like that. Not only tasty but good experience with managing personal shanix while I can do little harm with mistakes," Prowl grinned and rustled as he relaxed.

"So what is your priority on spending shanix?" Skyfire asked. "Are you more interested in trying new fuels or saving up for Certifications? You could save up to move out of Jazz's condo, but you'll be hard pressed to find somewhere so high up you can afford."

"My housing is included in the payment for my duties to Jazz and I am not particularly interested in moving out. I like their company and the winds are good in the area. Plus you are correct that even if I managed a similar room-rental it would not be as good a deal. For broad priorities the first amount of shanix set aside is for enough fuel not to be grumpy. After that is an amount for the fees for my resident status, the education I need and taxes. Then a pool for the basics of orn to orn maintenance. After that I am saving up for a ship." Prowl laid it out. "We are still working out how much I need for treats. A little keeps life from feeling oppressive but too much and it hampers my goals."

"If sounds like you have everything figured out," Skyfire said pleased with the depth of work Prowl had done. It was more thorough than he'd expected from someone so young, but it fit with the overall intelligence the dragon had demonstrated. "What kind of ship are you looking for?"

"Thank you. I want to go home when I can. So an inter-galactic ship large enough for me and equipped for a fairly long journey with dangers. Even if they will be less at the size I will be by then. Those who captured me before could not take me as an adult and definitely could not as the mature adult I am likely to be by then."

"I will be sorry to see you go, but I understand wanting to return to your home. Perhaps some orn I will be able to see your home or at least you again," Skyfire replied, knowing it would be a long time for Prowl to be able to afford such a ship. "Do you have an idea how it would cost?"

"Fifty to two hundred million shanix, perhaps more. It will take six to twenty centuries at my projected income depending on how much it is. The longer it takes to save up the more it will cost because of my size. I do not have the will to keep myself small," Prowl said easily before thinking. "It is unlikely we will meet again once I leave. Hausnest is not very visitor friendly."

"Unfortunate but understandable given our galactic reputation. Hopefully we can have a long friendship while you are here," Skyfire said. "So what do you like about Cybertron?"

"I would like that and I will speak well of you if you find your way to Hausnest," Prowl promised what he could. "I have not seen much. A pet is quite restricted. I really like how varied the fuel is. I have had some confections, treats and additives in energon however I have already tasted so many more possibilities than what I had at home. If I have time I intend to learn or collect how to make many such things. We have the ingredients. As far as I know no one has put them together anything like what I've had. Some of the fabrics are very nice too."

"Well, gathering up the information on making confections wouldn't be too hard. There are cooking vids and books you could get copies of to take with you. Copies of fancier recipes and cooking method files shouldn't be too expensive if you collect them over time," Skyfire suggested. "I could see about hunting down some from other city-states when I go visit for lectures or research. They'd be cheaper in their home territories and you could pay me back for them."

"They would be wonderful," Prowl perked up enough that his wings came free and they fluttered lightly. "I'll keep this up to date." He pinged Skyfire a blank list with three columns: title, author and max cost. At the top was also a not-yet-filled in space for max to spend in a metacycle.

"Be sure to keep the list up to date with your own purchases so we don't duplicate," Skyfire said. "If you get the opportunity and they don't cost too much you might want to look at getting some seeds and putting them in stasis fields. Even in a city as big as Iacon you can occasionally find seeds for edible plants, and some of them are used in making certain desserts and dishes. You could grow them in greenhouses if the local territory isn't innately compatible with them."

"I will look into that," Prowl promised as be made a note and sent off the first datanet search to download later. "Will you be here for the next Imperial Showcase?"

"Unless something surprising comes up, yes," Skyfire grinned at the topic and wiggled his wings in response to the eagerness across from him. "Most researchers tend to finish up projects before the Showcase so they can either demonstrate their current project or get new ideas from what they see on display. I've heard that the Csillagos Szentély estate is supposed to be part of the Gygax demonstration, but I haven't gotten confirmation on that from Hound yet."

"I am looking forward to going to one. It sounds like all the best in the empire in one space," Prowl asked as much as said.

"It is a grand experience, and the best part to me is that there is so little actual conflict. Even the most aggressive of the city-states compete by showing off rather than making war on each other. You'll get to see incredible spectacles," Skyfire said thinking back. "Would you like to hear about what I've seen in the past or speculate about what might be at the next one?"

"I would like to listen very much," Prowl eagerly reached for a bar treat and settled in to let Skyfire talk as long as he would.


	2. A Free Resident of Cybertron

"Greetings, everyone. So now we can finally celebrate the government pulling their heads out of their afts and recognizing Prowl as the magnificently intelligent sentient being that he is," SpacialFlux announced as he landed on the condo balcony with Loopy's travel container securely fastened to his back. "I have a present for our guest of honor but I need to get Loopy settled first."

"There's a table over here that should be large enough," Jazz said with a grin as he led SpacialFlux over to a corner table they'd set out for just this purpose along the living room-balcony divide. With the glass wall folded back it was really only delineated by the shift in flooring and lack of a roof now. It was short work opening the travel container into a simple cube and pouring in the extra oil so Loopy could swim instead of floating in the center. The four legged, two winged lizard poked his helm above the surface and clicked at SpacialFlux a few times before spotting Prowl watching.

Ignoring the fact that Prowl even larger than when they'd first met, Loopy fearlessly launched himself out into the air and headed towards the dragon.

~Before it was like watching a weaseloid tell off a cyber-lion. Now it's even more ridiculous,~ Ravage couldn't help commenting as the oil lizard that was about as long as his fore-limb chittered and hissed at Prowl who could now look Soundwave in the optic in dragon mode.

~He's cute. He reminds me of my sister. No sense of scale and a sharp glossa at all times. She was small too. Never did grow quickly,~ Prowl replied in amusement and gave a puff of an x-vent that sent Loopy back two lengths.

"Now Loopy, be nice. I brought treats for everyone including you," SpacialFlux scolded lightly as he pulled several containers out of his subspace. He handed the larger container to Jazz saying, "Now, here are some magma spiral flares for everyone to share. This small tube has a couple of live flicker gel spiders for Loopy if he gets too hungry. He prefers live fuel, and these need oil so they won't infest anywhere. I don't know if Prowl wants to try one, but they wouldn't be much of a taste for him. I know you said to just bring a treat to share, but I had to bring those garnet pebble berries I found this morning in a shop."

Jazz perked up at the mention of the Polihexian treat. "Thank you," he took both boxes of mecha treats and poured them into decorative bowls to set with a dozen other bowls on the fuel table perpendicular within the open balcony door. Almost no one had only brought one thing and no one was complaining. The feast would be delicious for everyone and Jazz beamed every time Prowl didn't even look when someone picked up something. He might still claim to always be hungry but Jazz could see the difference between the fear-based politeness he had at first and this genuine acceptance that he would get some and he would have enough energon. It had been a long road and that century of work and consistency had really paid off.

Prowl was genuinely social, mingling with the guests, talking and relaxed. Granted these were all mecha he liked and often socialized with on his own. It still made his ability to not fixate on the fuel something to be applauded. Even so Jazz made sure that the first bite from every bowl went to Prowl and was willing to admit that half of that was to bask in the dragon's field as he reveled in each new treat.

Picking up the bowl of pebble berries Jazz explained to everyone, "These are normally eaten in Polihex to welcome a new sparkling into a family. Today, thanks to SpacialFlux, we have them to welcome Prowl officially into his new legal status." 

"Thank you, SpacialFlux," Prowl turned his helm to look at the flier that had been the first to really welcome him. Loopy responded to the look by hissing and leaping from his oil to his owner's shoulder.

"The symbolism seemed appropriate especially after all of the publicity when the Lord of Polihex had a new sparkling a few vorns back," SpacialFlux said as he stroked Loopy trying to settle the little oil lizard back down.

Skyfire who was restricted to the balcony due to his size carefully approached and looked down at the small oil lizard. "A fascinating species I've rarely encountered outside of Telicrox. I'm pleased to see that this one isn't being used for fighting."

"It's a barbaric practice," SpacialFlux agreed instantly. "Unfortunately I don't have any influence to try and stop it, but I do try to support rescues for the mechanimals. They're very hard to place since you can only have one in an area. Why mecha want to watch mechanimals fighting is beyond me." 

"The same reason to watch sports of any kind?" Prowl suggested. "To feel strong by siding with a winner without any risk to self."

"Sounds about right," SpacialFlux agreed belatedly remembering that Prowl had been destined for that fate. "It's one thing when it's a sporting contest of skill between near equal opponents. Then you can at least admire the dedication of both parties." 

"Like a dance competition," Jazz suggested to give Prowl a frame of reference for what was meant.

"Ah, yes. That is something else," the dragon nodded agreement to that.

"The less violent the sport the more intellectual the audience tends to be although there are exceptions," Skyfire agreed. "There are cities where violence is considered more acceptable, and there are frametypes that need the violent outlet. It does need to be carefully regulated and monitored to prevent abuses." 

"What frametypes need to be gladiators?" Prowl looked at him with real curiosity.

"Many military-coded mecha find the job suitable if they don't have the temperament to handle the discipline of the military or have to leave for some reason. Berserkers accidentally created outside the military in civilian lines often take on that role to keep from harming civilians," Skyfire thought about past experiences with societies outside the Empire. "Some worlds reserve gladiator roles for criminals. It's a form of punishment that is sometimes used as an execution." 

Prowl frowned as he tried to work on that. 

While he did so Soundwave and Jazz both remained quiet. They'd both worked out what was going on but it was important to see what Prowl would do with the apparently unanswered question from someone he liked. Other party goers quietly avoided looking like all attention was on the shuttle and dragon.

Prowl walked to the table and got a jelly he could work for a klik. When it was gone he finally spoke.

"I asked what frame _type_ was like that. Coding can be added to most frametypes and the military has most frametypes."

"I've seen it mostly in those who have a weapon as their alternate form especially large blasters," Skyfire answered. "I'm sorry, I misspoke earlier and used frame-type as a reference for military instead of explaining it was coding based about the majority of those who go into being a gladiator. It's a mistake I shouldn't make being a scientist shuttle-frame." 

"I did not realize weapon formers existed," Prowl mulled that over and looked at Jazz. "I expect they are rarely seen outside the military bases?"

"They aren't," Jazz confirmed and snagged a pebble berry for himself, one to feed Soundwave and one for Prowl. "I don't think I've actually seen one."

"They are a frametype that is rarely created given their limitations," Skyfire agreed. "I've found evidence of them in historical records and stories from colony worlds, but I've never seen one myself. I'd say they fall somewhere into the same rarity as bae ships, metrotitans, and guardians like Omega Supreme over in Crystal City." 

Prowl nodded his acceptance of the explanation. The idea of sparking a frame to life still gave him headaches to try and understand but he could see the usefulness once he accepted it was possible. "Perhaps I will meet one of these ultra rare types some orn. We do have something in common in being almost unknown on Cybertron. Their perspective on it could be interesting."

"I understand they typically have a different worldview from the rest of us," Skyfire agreed as he delicately sampled the pebble berry and habitually analyzed the flavor and consistency. "Seeking one out would take time and effort, but the results may be worth the effort." 

"Something to consider. I do have time," Prowl agreed smoothly and added it to the long list of 'things to do if there is time and shanix for it.'

"Enough seriousness," SpacialFlux said as he carefully removed Loopy from his shoulder. "What are you most looking forward to now that your status has changed?" 

"Fewer flight regulations," Prowl wiggled his wings excitedly. "Fewer movement regulations in general. I can go to museums, galleries, classes and sites without having to drag someone along or be faced with no pets allowed signs."

"We like going with him, but sometimes it's inconvenient to try to work it in everyone's schedules. Especially when we're stuck in contract negotiations," Jazz said with a cheerful smile and a pat to Prowl's head. Prowl bumped against him affectionately in reply.

"I bet that no pets restriction still took a lot of good ones off the list," Azure trilled from where she was relaxing against Femina. They made an odd looking couple, one small in shades of blue and green the other tall in vibrant pinks and purples though in this gathering no one cared if you matched who you were standing with.

"Especially those with art or antiquities. Jazz and Soundwave got me into some of them but I'm looking forward to seeing all the rest," Prowl all but danced in place in his eagerness.

"How'd you manage that?" Femina twitched her wings in real interest.

"Priest optics and paying for an after-closing visit," Jazz grinned. "I have to admit it was a lot of fun to have that kind of private tour. Especially once our guide realized that Prowl wasn't a big drake and could be trusted not to accidentally whack something with wings or tail."

"Prowl: safer than sparklings," Soundwave repeated the comment he'd heard from more than one guide.

"Sparklings can be a menace to art if they aren't watched closely," Panna Dil agreed as she joined them. "I've had a sculpture broken by one who was too rambunctious. The creators tried to get out of paying for it, but the gallery owner insisted since it was obviously their negligence that caused the damage." 

"As they should," Prowl huffed. "Even with a clutch of nine there were always at least one adult for each of us when we were out of the mauna. We knew we would be picked up if we got too excited."

"That's the way to manage fledglings," Femina agreed as she picked up a pebble berry and tried one after saluting Prowl with it. "Never let them outnumber you in public." 

He grinned and chuckled deeply at her.

"So have you decided where to go first?" Skyfire smiled.

"The Teslanian," Prowl grinned up at him. "I expect that will keep me busy for some time. The Gift of Guardian Zoological Garden is high on the list as well. They were willing to do an after closing tour but balked at my presence. Given what is there I could not blame them. I do consider most of it fair game if it is wild."

"The Teslanian currently has a wonderful exhibit at the Exobiology Museum comparing Cybertronian Jurassanoids to some of the mechanimal and organic species discovered during expeditions," Skyfire said with smile and a bit of enthusiasm. "The similarities in design when you compare the different species of mansasi and their organic theropod counterparts is fascinating."

"Convergent evolution," Prowl grinned at his as his tail wiggled a bright violet. "Similar needs produce similar forms." "I like the sky display going on at the Stellar Primal Complex myself," SpacialFlux added. "They have a complete overhead projection of the different stars and climate conditions natural to the colony worlds." 

"I will have to make time to see that," Prowl enthusiastically tagged that as something worth going to and soon swung his head around as other events and exhibits were suggested by various party goers. By the end he had vorns worth of things to visit and was looking forward to all of it.

* * *

"Goodnight, pleasant orn to you," Skyfire said with a wing dip to Prowl as he finally left at the end of the party. Near the end of the party the pair had wound up discussing which museums would still be relatively easy to visit as Prowl grew closer to Skyfire in height and which were important to visit sooner. 

"Clear skies and fair winds," Prowl called back before turning to his family with a brightly glowing rich violet tail orb despite the sudden droop in his frame now that all the visitors were gone.

"I think that went pretty well," Jazz said as he patted the seat next to him on the couch and offered Prowl one of the few leftover treats.

"Of course it did. Everyone that was here already liked him," Laserbeak pointed out from her perch. 

"It did go well," Prowl flopped down and laid his head on Jazz's lap. "Still exhausting to socialize that long no matter how friendly they are."

"Very few mecha thrive in isolation, but even I can get overwhelmed by too much socialization," Jazz agreed. "Before we all go recharge there are still a few family things to discuss with your new change in status."

"Prowl: succeeding with investments," Soundwave noted. 

Prowl's field flared in delight at the approval and confirmation that his standards were acceptable. "I have little interest in changing the fundamentals of our arrangements."

"I'm glad to hear that. I like having you here too," Jazz smiled and stroked the long neck. "Have you thought about how long you wish to be a slave before we free you?"

"As much as I dislike the title I would like a vorn or two of its protection before being on my own socially unless you believe differently. It will be very strange walking on two legs in public and Rung believed that I would be less of a target as a slave than as a foreigner. As your property they are less likely to risk the fines you have the resources to demand."

"We'll keep working on your social skills so you'll gain experience. You can keep the safety net of slavery as long as you want to. We'll free you as soon as you want it to happen," Jazz promised even as he silently commented to the family. ~I don't expect it to happen, but we'll need to monitor him to make certain it doesn't turn into a crutch.~ 

~He's a predator. It won't any more than being a symbiot is a crutch for me,~ Ravage said with certainty.

~He's going to leave as soon as he can. I wouldn't worry about it,~ Laserbeak added.

~Agreed,~ Soundwave said to them all. ~We: will watch. Prowl: will progress.~

"Not long. Just long enough for the locals to become accustomed to me again and that I am a person," Prowl rumbled into a relaxed purr. "I like being a dragon too much to avoid them linking me to your pet."

"Once they realize you're the dragon most are going to assume you're an exotic beastformer," Jazz agreed. "I might get a little flak about having called you a pet, but the fact that we moved so quickly to have your status changed will stifle most of the problem talkers." 

"I expect the rest are simply looking for a way to complain. No one could have actual cause to complain about your treatment of me," Prowl said with a calm steadiness that dared the universe to try.

"Those exist on Hausnest?" Ravage asked as he curled on top of Prowl's back to enjoy the dragon's solid warmth.

"Oh yes. I am sure they exist in every society. They are annoying but rarely dangerous," Prowl's armor rippled slightly to make a better nest for Ravage.

"Some mecha like making trouble because they think it improves their own worth by tearing down others," Laserbeak said with a shrug. "Prowl, would you mind taking over investing my accounts? We can negotiate a fee. You're having better luck than my current manager." 

"I would be honored to. There is little luck involved though it is an enormous amount of data to track and understand," Prowl agreed. "I find it quite a rewarding activity even if it is not as fun as the hard sciences."

"He's managed mine for vorns. I've never done better," Ravage added with a grin.

"Prowl: manage all family finances?" Soundwave asked. It had been difficult to find an account manager who wasn't prejudice against him and his symbiots. Their current manager was acceptable although not the most astute with their portfolio and tended to miss a few opportunities even Soundwave recognized coming. 

Jazz teeked it first, the warmth of almost-awe at the trust Prowl recognized this to be. Yes it was an opportunity for Prowl to earn good shanix but it was also a critical duty they all depended on to live as well as they did.

"I would be honored," he rumbled. "We can sort out the details in the morning?" he looked at Soundwave and Laserbeak.

"Affirmative," Soundwave said.

"Sounds good," Laserbeak agreed. "You want to have the meeting before or after your morning flight?" 

"Before. I spend much of my flight time data mining investments," Prowl answered. "Datanet access is good everywhere I fly."

"You're data mining while flying? That's an efficient use of your time," Jazz said as he rested a hand on Prowl's chevron. With a bit of humor in his field, he added, "If you took on investing as a career you could get paid for your flight time." 

"I like to be efficient," Prowl chuckled with a flare of good humor. "Two enjoyable things at the same time feels good. One physical one intellectual."

Ravage let out a loud yawn and shook his head. "You mind if I join you tonight?" 

"I would like that," Prowl raised his helm and curled it around to nuzzle his lover. "I like to recharge with you."

* * *

Sitting in his mech form at living room table Prowl really noticed how much he'd grown since arriving. He now stood neck and shoulders above Soundwave while his first attempt at this form had barely looked the host in the optics. He still had a significant amount to grow before he was an adult but he pushed thoughts of when he was too big for this place away. It would be decades before it was a real issue and he was sitting here with Soundwave and Laserbeak going over the final details of what was happening _right now_. He was about to take over the bulk of the family's investments. He would be directly responsible for their wealth and in doing well by them he would receive a bonus each vorn in proportion to their profits in addition to the management salary. It'd be tempting to take extreme risks with the shanix in order to gain even more bonus profits for his shanix, but he knew he could and would temper the impulse since he didn't want to harm those who had done so much to help him without expecting much in return. 

"Contract: acceptable terms," Soundwave said as he finished noting the details of their discussion in the contract template they'd purchased. Account management was a fairly straightforward business deal, and he'd had experience with them in the past with other managers.

"Looks good to me," Laserbeak agreed. 

"Then agreed," Prowl nodded both his helm and wings. "I will take over these accounts twenty orns."

"Prowl: may fly now." Soundwave let him go with a silent reminder to Laserbeak that it was important to have him fly on his own to establish that it was now his right to.

"There are some good winds today and should be tomorrow according to the weather reports. How about the two of us go out tomorrow and enjoy them?" Laserbeak asked following Soundwave's direction while trying to let Prowl know that she still wanted to fly with him whenever possible. 

"I would like that," Prowl grinned at her before transforming. He started his launch run while still inside and was gone from view as he dropped below their balcony from his leap before his wings caught the powerful updrafts and he let himself drift in the wonderful sensation of flight for several kliks. 

He'd spotted one of their neighbors heading off to work a little later than normal. She didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry so he didn't think it was anything seriously wrong with the sparkling they'd had back when he was waiting to be able to fly. Dismissing them from his thoughts he linked up to his usual connections and started researching the family's main stock holdings. He only paid half attention to it, skimming the report highlights consciously while the full data load went to the predictive software. Another third of his attention was on his surroundings, watching for changes, hazards and any snacks that flew by. The rest was lost in enjoying the flight.

He'd been out a solid half joor and still within the territory he commonly flew when a low-speed prop alt that pinged as an enforcer came closer than it really should. Prowl swung out of the way, wary of both the propeller and the flier's wake in passing.

The flier altered course to follow him and quick scan followed by a hard scan washed across his frame. It was practically a shout that the enforcer thought something might be wrong although Prowl couldn't figure out what it might be. He hadn't done anything that could be considered aggressive and he was completely legal. Maybe the enforcer hadn't gotten the update? If it was that a check in the system should tell him Prowl didn't need anyone to fly with him anymore. Though if that prop came closer again Prowl intended to land. It wasn't like he could out fly the prop even if he wanted to and irritating law enforcement was rarely helpful.

Another aggressive press by the enforcer into his air space caused Prowl to head for the nearest roof with an easy landing. The enforcer followed behind him almost on top of his tail. It felt like very aggressive behavior considering Prowl wasn't showing anything but cooperation to non-existent orders. Weren't enforcers supposed to _tell_ you want they wanted? By any measure Prowl should be allowed to retaliate to the prop's behavior. He didn't though and landed neatly while turning to face his pursuer.

The enforcer transformed as he landed out of claw range and aimed a blaster straight at Prowl. "Sit, beast," the enforcer snarled coldly. He seemed to be trying to give Prowl orders like he was the mechanimal he'd originally been classified as. 

Prowl couldn't quite keep the optic roll contained but he complied and kept his voice polite. "My owner gave me permission to fly, sir."

"Don't talk back to your betters, beast," the enforcer growled.

As much as Prowl wanted to swipe him for the attitude he kept his vocalizer mute, his frame still and commed Soundwave instead. ::Soundwave, I have been stopped by an enforcer who seems to think I am still a pet.::

::Soundwave: will contact enforcers,:: he replied immediately. 

::Thank you,:: Prowl ended the comm and watched the enforcer keep him at blaster point while officials were contacted and whatever else they did on a traffic stop.

After several kliks it became obvious when Soundwave's complaint about the situation finally reached the enforcer. The enforcer straightened and reluctantly lowered his blaster and gruffly said, "Are you designation Prowl, slave to Jazz?" 

"Yes, sir," Prowl answered politely.

"I needed to do a thorough scan to make certain everything is in order," He obviously wanted to say a lot more but was frustrated by Prowl's changed status to slave. He also still hadn't put the blaster away despite Prowl's cooperation and law-abiding status.

::Have they let you go yet?:: Laserbeak asked. ::The lieutenant Soundwave is talking to at the moment has been rather apologetic about the misunderstanding. It sounds like we stirred up a crystal wasp nest.::

::Not yet. I am sure he is searching for a reason to give me a ticket,:: Prowl replied calmly.

::Figures. I used to have problems like this but it mostly stopped after Soundwave and Jazz got serious,:: Laserbeak grumbled. ::I'll pass it along to Soundwave.::

"You're certifications and licenses appear to be in order," the enforcer finally said. "You may go."

::An entertainer has more power than a priest?:: Prowl asked with genuine bewilderment before nodding to the enforcer and turning to leap off the roof away from him.

::Soundwave lost a lot of political power when he left the priesthood even though he still had ties there,:: Laserbeak explained. ::It took Jazz reaching his current status to bring us back to where we once were.:: 

::Jazz has the power to publicly humiliate and the enforcers do not want to be a target over something small,:: Prowl did his best to translate it to his own words to see if he understood.

::Yep. He can humiliate them in front of the common public and the nobility. His musical status also means he can reach outside of Iacon with his complaints. No one wants to be the enforcer that brought shame on the capital,:: Laserbeak said with a scoff. ::It's one good thing about the paparazzi attention.:: 

::True. They are not even that annoying once I became used to them,:: Prowl said as he sank into the joy of flying again. It felt so good to be on his wings that he didn't care about the extra energon he had to buy to do it.

::Jazz takes care not to cause scandals so they don't bug him that often,:: Laserbeak agreed. ::Well, if everything is okay now I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your flight. Comm us immediately if anything else happens.:: 

::I will,:: Prowl promised before closing the line and giving himself fully to his flight.

* * *

~You comfortable?~ Jazz asked quietly through their fields as Prowl settled carefully on the floor beside him on the set stage in beast mode. They'd put a lot of effort into both of their finishes and were physically ready for the cameras and attention Jazz was about receive. This interview with _The Empire's Beat_ would be a blatant sign to everyone important that Jazz had made it to the top in the entertainment world. Proof that he could command top billing and more importantly fill the largest stadiums with shanix-spending fans.

~Yes. You look very fetching in that finish,~ Prowl replied with a silent purr as he admired the finish the family referred to as shimmering glitterific. He liked it a lot more than the gem studded party finish. He liked his finish right now better too. Much more understated than Jazz's he was now meant only to look good rather than garner attention.

It was a look well suited for a guard.

The interviewer walked out onto the set, her bright pink finish drawing attention while still not outshining her guest. Accessible was the host and main interviewer for the _Lyrical Score_ column and could make or break a career with her choice of questions. She settled into her own and waited until the director signaled before speaking. "Welcome to Lyrical Score, Jazz." 

"Thank you for having me, Accessible," Jazz smiled warmly and while he spoke to her he never shifted in a way that turned his face from the camera either.

"I'm pleased you could take time out from your busy schedule to talk to me," she replied managing to sound sincere even though the idea of anyone not taking the time to talk to her was almost unthinkable. "I understand you're scheduled to have two concerts in Helix? That's quite a coup for a grounder." 

"My recent inspiration has resonated well with the flying community," he made a small nod towards Prowl. "Watching him fly always inspires me and his thoughts on the science of sound has inspired many more. His unique perspective has made me think in completely new ways several times. It has been a transformative century."

"Your inspiration is your dragon guard?" Accessible said as she glanced across at Prowl who looked back at her, steady in knowing his duties and willing to show his intelligence and maturity by not speaking. "Is it true he was purchased as a pet but is now recognized as a member of a sentient race?" 

"Yes. My conjunx endura Soundwave recognized the sentient mind in what was claimed to be a beast and bought him. We spent his first century with us proving his kind are sentient. He chose to remain with our family and is now paid as a live-in employee while he studies for his future," Jazz intentionally left out being saved from the arenas. He didn't like them but that was not a crusade he was interested in launching.

 "An impressive story with a happy ending," Accessible said with a smile. "How fortunate for Prowl that your conjunx endura was able to see the potential in him. Is that same perceptiveness what caused Soundwave to notice your charms?" 

Jazz smiled softly with fond memories. "I think I fell for his. His symbiots liked to listen whenever I played in public, usually buskering in one of the parks near the temple but they'd come even when I was just practicing. After a while he asked me out for energon. It was strange for a while but it just felt right the more we spent time together. I didn't understand what he saw in me for a long time and his description of it being Primus's will didn't help. It wasn't until we spark merged for the first time that I really understood what he experienced when he looked at me. He wasn't seeing the performer, someone with some talent and a desire to make it. He saw potential futures, dozens of them, and the ones where we were together were the ones he liked the best." his smile warmed. "It wasn't because the others were bad. He loved his existence as a priest, being part of something so much more than any one mech. Somehow being with me as even better than that. That's when I agreed we were serious. His devotion still blows me away every time I think of him."

"What a wonderful tale," Accessible said with a fond smile on her face as she leaned forward a bit to dis. "Are the two of you thinking about sparklings at any point?"

"We have discussed the idea although with my career we figured it would be a better to wait for now," Jazz replied. "Our rescues fill that role for now. It feels good to help someone go from nothing to having a future they look forward to. It is enough for now."

"Then Prowl is not the first?" Accessible nudged.

"Oh no, not the first," Jazz chuckled. "He is the first we have taken through the species sentience process though. Most rescues don't move in for long; they just need some help and Soundwave sees in them the will and desire to manage it. Some really are mechanimals that stay until we find them a better home. He may no longer wear the red but it hasn't changed how he thinks or believes in helping the less fortunate."

"What a responsible use of your own fortunate circumstances. Have any other rescues acted as musical inspirations for you?" Accessible asked.

"We did have a frilled cyber-owl for a while that Laserbeak was a big helping re-teaching to fly. Poor thing had been mistreated by a previous owner who had badly damaged its wing, but the vet repaired it well enough. Watching its head swivel as it looked out the window one night gave me a beat for a melody I was working on," Jazz said with a chuckle of fond remembrance. "An educational facility took him in and used him as a demonstration mechanimal for programs although I heard he was eventually released into the wild once they found a suitable environment."

"So you have a tendency to focus on helping avianoids and other fliers?" Accessible asked. 

Jazz had to think back. "I can't say we do. They tend to be memorable for me because they exist in such a different way. That difference often gives me ideas because they make me see things in a way that doesn't come without prompting. I'm a full grounder, no flight code at all. Trying to understand a being that exists so fully in that extra dimension that I don't think about is... it's freeing in a way. It breaks me out of thinking the usual way and that's when inspiration is at its best."

"So that's why Prowl was such an inspiration for you on your Dragon Flight albums? Because of that difference in thought and perspective?" Accessible asked.

"Yes, and his ability to articulate it in both emotional and scientific ways. He's also responsible for the two aquatic albums from his talk of fluid dynamics and how liquid or gas it all follows the same set of rules for sound. I can't say I understood it all but it made me think about how my music sounded to aquatic frames enough to explore it. They might not be my primary audience but I understand sound so much better for it," Jazz kept himself from stroking Prowl but did give him an affectionate brush of his field and enjoyed basking in the glow of Prowl's enjoyment-pride-embarrassment. The mech had earned the praise Jazz have him just as Soundwave did. "A mechanimal dragon might have inspired an album or two. I won't deny watching him fly is amazing. But it's Prowl's intelligence, education and enjoyment of sharing what he is with us that brought the rest and several others out of me."

"How many of your albums are directly inspired by Prowl?" Accessible asked.

Jazz settled back and hummed as he thought. "I'd say about half of them since we met."

"May I ask Prowl a question?" Accessible asked.

"Yes," Jazz nodded, his frame relaxed and field giving Prowl assurance that it was okay to answer her.

"Prowl, how do you feel knowing that you've inspired Jazz like this? Are you getting any kind of royalties or is it part of your job as a guard?" Accessible asked facing the dragon and giving him her full attention. 

"I am pleased to inspire. I have never asked for royalties or payment for what I have not physically done though it is not part of my duties either. Jazz does all the work in creating the music. I do receive separate payment for the music vids, performances and appearances I make not as his guard," Prowl explained as best he could and relaxed slightly at Jazz' approving teek.

"So you are getting some compensation for your additional time with him in the studio and on stage," Accessible said with a pleased smile. "Are you looking forward to the next set of tour stops in Vos and Helex?"

"Yes, the flier-based cities are very different from the grounder-based cities we have explored," Prowl replied. "The additional air traffic is good to improve my skills in and both are better suited to my size." He briefly unfolded his wings to give a solid visual of how much space he took up when he wasn't trying to be compact.

Accessible nodded and focused on Jazz. "Have you decided what your next album's theme will be?"

"I'm currently working on a travel theme with stopovers in different areas interspersed throughout the album," Jazz explained, pausing as if he was debating revealing a secret even though he'd already cleared it with his manager and producer. "I can tell you one of the songs is going to be about a trip to a colony world."

"So we will be looking forward to more varied tempos and melodies on this one?" Accessible asked. 

"Definitely. Every city has its own native beat and I try to honor that in the songs about them," Jazz smiled.

"I know your fans will be eagerly waiting to see if their city is honored with being included in the album," Accessible said. "Do you have a list you can release or do we have to wait to find out?" 

"I'm afraid I can only release one name right now," he smiled an apology to her and his fans. "Harmonex."

"Of course you could reveal the obvious choice and an unnamed colony world," Accessible replied with a chuckle. "Rumors are going to fly until it is released."  
"And who knows, maybe some of those guesses will get added," Jazz winked at her. "After all I haven't finished recording it yet."

"You may have just started an official contest among your fans," Accessible replied with a grin. "Are you going to tour in the order of the songs?" 

"I'm looking forward to it. My fans have given me some amazing ideas in the past," Jazz grinned back honestly. "The tour order hasn't been determined yet. While I like the idea it has more to do with what my manager and agent manage to arrange. I am going to insist on going to every city I sing about no matter if it's a usual stop or not," he added.

"Will this be your first tour to include a colony world?" Accessible asked. "I haven't heard of you playing off of Cybertron."

"It will be, and I hope it won't be the last. The universe if full of amazing things to sing about and I love to share with those I sing about. It doesn't feel right to be for a city or people to inspire a song and then not make the effort to sing it to them. A gift for a gift and all that," Jazz smiled at the philosophical notion Soundwave gave him the words for.

"A noble sentiment. Hopefully you'll be able to share a lot more music with other cities and colony worlds in the vorns to come," Accessible said. "Do you have any duets planned for the album? Perhaps with local artists?"

"Not on this album. If this one does well I'll have the momentum to insist on that for the next," Jazz didn't hide his excitement at the prospect. "The legal and logistic stuff is complicated. Or at least my manager insists it is."

"Hopefully we'll get to hear that duet album soon," Accessible replied. 

* * *

"Welcome to Harmonex," a lilac and teal mech announced as Soundwave and his family exited the transport along with the rest of the upper-class passengers. "Soundwave and Jazz, I presume?"

"Affirmative," Soundwave said looking over the unknown mech. The markings on his frame indicated he was a greeting official for the Tour of the Tables.

"My designation is Ho'omaka Hou. The Temple extends its welcome and asked me to meet you since the transport was delayed," the mech smiled and partially bowed to the group and did a good job of hiding his reaction to the giant winged one with them. He'd been told and shown who Prowl was yet it was not enough preparation for first seeing a mech more than twice his height. It certainly made his status as the family's guard suitable.

"Thank you," Jazz responded warmly as he took in the harmonics of this place. It was so different from anywhere else he'd been. Even just on the edge where the dock was the city's musical core was an audible hum to him. He could teek it in Prowl too. The dragon's flight-sensors responded to it and he liked the feeling.

"We do have some things of interest here in the terminal while you wait," Ho'omaka Hou said as he escorted them through the terminal. Colorful signs announced the Tour of Tables in multiple languages while other more permanent displays highlighted the wonders and sights of Harmonex primarily in Imperial.

Laserbeak gave a small cry as she focused in on a branch at the top of a tall crystalline structure. ~What is that?~

"Ah, you've spotted one of the crested cyber-sparrows that live here. It's a sign good fortune will soon come to you. Many of the species here in Harmonex look very different to outsiders," Ho'omaka Hou said with a small chuckle and felt the entire group relax just a bit. 

"Snacks?" Prowl suggested to Jazz.

"What are you in the mood for? There are quartz and solar statia available at several shops set up over by the copper cone trees in Terminal B. They are sweet and very light. There are also have fried kani rings with rust stick crumbles on top available over in Terminal D," Ho'omaka Hou offered. "If you want something a bit more filling there is grilled illuminum available on the upper level of Terminal A." 

"Something local," Jazz decided. "We came to enjoy as much variety as we can."

"Solar statia it is," Ho'omaka Hou said and lead them over to Terminal B. "The transport should be here in a few kliks." 

A quick check on just what that was and Prowl had to focus to keep from outpacing the smaller mecha around him. Multiple sheets of fine metal links held together by energon gel. It sounded awesome to him. Metal to grow with and energy to do the conversion. 

As they headed down the terminal towards the intersection with B, Jazz couldn't help but notice the number of crystalline flowers in planters and small terraces with bushes and small trees scattered throughout the area, "You certainly seem to love to show off your natural beauty here. Is it easy to grow the plants inside like this?"

"Mecha come to Harmonex for music and crystal formations like nowhere else on Cybertron. These particular kinds are much easier to grow inside," Ho'omaka Hou agreed. "There are special openings in the walls giving ventilation so that the avianoids and insectobots can get in and pollinate everything." 

"Have there been any studies on why crystals do so well in this area?" Prowl asked with genuine curiosity.

"Several," Ho'omaka Hou brightened at having a guest that was interested beyond value or beauty. "There are mineral deposits here that are absent across most of Cybertron. While no firm connection has been made it seems likely that it's related. It's definitely related to what kind of crystals grown. The other studies point more towards a social cause. It is well known that light, temperature, pollution, population density, wildlife and care all affect crystal growth. Harmonex take great pride in its crystals and as a city we do all we can to make conditions favorable to them. Some of it is by laws limiting population density and pollution. Others are simply cultural in that a citizen that sees a crystal in need will take care of it. That might be tending to it themselves or by bringing that crystal to the attention of others. There is an entire department the size of our law enforcement tasked with ensuring our crystals are healthy and Harmonex continues to sing."

"It's a great thing when a city's population recognizes how important their environment is and tries to take care of it," Jazz said as he spotted a shimmering, golden edged sign for "Gilded Confectioneries" beside a cluster of trees. "Too many places sacrifice the future for a quick profit now." 

"We believe so and it fosters a sense of community and unity that have helped us prosper. Every city must have something of value that it does better than its neighbors. I understand the value of manufacturing, governing, mining and producing warriors but I am glad to live where creating beauty and culture is what makes us valuable," Ho'omaka Hou said warmly and angled towards a small shopfront full of confections and candies. As they got close Jazz realized that it only stocked three things but each came in a wide variety. Statia were the most plentiful and also the best seller given the partial trays still available. The banded energon balls and mineral treats looked good too.

"Harmonex: specialization common?" Soundwave asked as the group studied the displayed snacks. Laserbeak seemed most interested in the silver, gold and aluminum banded energon balls, while Ravage was looking over the available mineral treats with interest.

"Yes, many of our artisans specialize in a particular style or material," Ho'omaka Hou agreed. "There aren't many one-stop shops in the city since most prefer the attention a true artist gives." 

"I like to support artists when I can, especially the ones who take on apprentices to pass on their craft," Jazz said before placing the order of two items for each of them. "One-stop shops have their uses but to get fine craftmechship isn't one of them."

"One-stop shops tend to carry lower quality items but they are often more affordable for the poorer masses," Prowl said. "If you control your population here then there is less need for them to exist."

"Too true," Ho'omaka Hou agreed quickly. "Sometimes mecha want to settle here from other, more industrious city-states. Most of them leave when they find out they cannot have all the things they expect and immediately want. Life is like good high grade, it must be properly presented and aged to be truly appreciated." 

Prowl cocked his helm slightly as he accepted his two varieties statia from Jazz. He caught the quiet nudge not to debate and kept quiet on his thoughts that fine high grade was a treat and life should be enjoyed more than once in a while.

"The transport has arrived," Ho'omaka Hou announced and guided them towards arrival pick up as the snacks were enjoyed. "Would you like to explore the city or settle in first?"

~I want a change to check out the Temple air space and I bet Prowl agrees with me,~ Laserbeak said from her perch on Soundwave's shoulder.

"Let's head to the Temple and greet our hosts," Jazz suggested, wanting to rest and freshen up a bit before going further out in public. He had no doubt that the fliers wanted air time, Ravage wanted to scope out the territory and Soundwave was eager to catch up with his friend.

"Thank you for waiting with us," Jazz said to Ho'omaka Hou as they boarded the transport.

"A pleasant orn and wonderful festival to you all," the mech said with a small flourished bow before heading back inside the terminal. 

* * *

"Brightouch: satisfied with position?" Soundwave asked after the formal pleasantries greeting the lesser priests at the temple were completed and he was finally left alone with the old friend he hadn't seen face-to-face for many vorns.

"Yes, I am content with my current posting," the Artisia said with a bit of amusement at the pointed comment. "Being third at this lesser temple allows me time to pursue my painting while still handling all the unfortunate bureaucracy that tries to consume my orns." 

"Bureaucracy: bane of everyone's orns, even those who use it." Soundwave's knowing amusement flickered between them.

"Too true," Brightouch said as they walked sedately through the brightly decorated halls. "I know between Jazz's career and your rescue projects you deal with it far more often than you would prefer." 

"Affirmative," tolerant annoyance hummed in Soundwave at his duties. "Bureaucracy: takes significant work to manipulate. Soundwave: becoming skilled." 

"Those who you rescue undoubtedly appreciate those skills. Prowl for instance seems quite loyal to your family," Brightouch smiled a bit at the memory of the brief introduction to the tall yet inquisitive mech. "I noticed once your family was settled he headed straight outside with Laserbeak." 

"Affirmative. Prowl: is loyal for his age. Prowl: still a mechling and fixated on flying. Prowl: had wings clipped for many vorns," Soundwave explained as they reached Brightouch's quarters. Though they were simply built they were full of artistic projects in various stages, supplies and finished work. While not crowded it was full of things to look at.

"I have an official workshop but these are things I'm doing for myself rather than for the temple," the priest explained and smiled as Soundwave's visor and mask slid up and away to reveal his full face and still white optics.

"Beautiful," Soundwave said as he looked at the different projects. It made an eclectic but intriguing collage and reminded him of a visual representation of Jazz working on a new song.

"Clipping his wings was a cruelty I'm pleased he survived with his sanity intact. He is quite the curious spark," Brightouch said with a small shiver of disgust at the barbaric torture. "I've heard the rumors he is a beastformer from a lost colony world. I've also heard rumors in the news vids that he's a shapechanger come to steal mech's sparks. It's amazing what kind of stories mecha will create when faced with someone unusual. So far he's little different from the beastformers I've met." 

"Prowl: beastformer with unusual alt. Hausnest: may be a lost colony or may be the refugees from one. Politics are involved and Prowl cannot speak for their government. Prowl: no need to steal sparks," he rumbled softly in amusement. "Prowl: incredibly curious and sweet. Greatest difficultly: keeping studies on track."

"Is he wanting to wander off and explore beyond the subject matter?" Brightouch asked. "He reminds me of some of the mechlings I've taught art to here who were so impatient to get passed the basics." 

Soundwave hummed and thought about it. "Prowl: often distracted by new fields of study. Prowl: young and easily distracted by new questions."

"So he wants to learn everything," Brightouch chuckled. "Sounds like many budding scientists. So, are you primarily visiting here to expose him to more of Cybertron? I admit that Harmonex is beautiful, but some here are proud almost to the point of vice of being from such a cultured city." 

"Soundwave's visit: primarily to explore the dragon culture of Harmonex. Harmonex: only city that still has a strong dragon element in their culture. Prowl's visit: to eat as many new things as possible. Jazz: here to perform at a character event."

"I see why you would pick now to expose Prowl to Harmonex with so many flavors and items to expose him to in one place. I look forward to Jazz's performance; I didn't just purchase his albums because he's your conjunx endura," Brightouch paused and thought for a long klik before continuing. "Harmonex does have a strong history of dragons in our art, although thinking back I don't recall any living robodragons around here in my lifetime. I could do some searching through the temple's records to see if I can discover anything to explain it. I'm no archivist, but I do have the excuse of researching projects to explain my fascination with odd topics." 

"Soundwave: would be grateful for assistance," he spoke with the full resonance of it in his voice and field. "Soundwave: pleased you enjoy Jazz's music. Prowl: is definitely a scientist. Prowl: trained from sparklinghood to be one."

"Laserbeak and Ravage seem to enjoy his company. I'm pleased that you found someone that treats them like beings and not mechanimals," Brightouch smiled before looking a bit more concerned. "How are things in Iacon truly going? I've heard from friends at a few temples about shortages starting to develop in some of the poorer areas of cities especially those like Kaon and Tesarus. Nothing like that has touched Harmonex yet, but I don't expect anything like that here given the obsession with preserving the crystals." 

Soundwave nodded. "Iacon: still stable. Cause: large enforcer and military presence. Energon shortages for poor: exist." he sighed through his vents. "Government: refuses to address causes."

"Those in power still sticking their heads in the dust to hide from the unpleasant truth? Why am I not surprised," Brightouch sighed. "One of my instructors used to say that those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. Another student replied saying that those who do learn from the past are ignored by everyone else and forced to watch them repeat it." 

"Both: correct," Soundwave agreed completely with deep frustration. "Problems: systematic. Solutions: require system controllers. Prospects: limited. Brightouch: anything fame can help with?"

"It's hard for anyone to fight against it given how insidious the problem really is becoming. I know he has to be careful how he handles reaching out or he could lose his contracts and what little voice he has in the system now. Perhaps having Jazz visit during one of the local dances might help expose how mecha who live in poorer communities are still valuable members of society not just dregs that leach of the richer areas," Brightouch suggested. "Just like how your family reaching out to help slaves like Prowl exposes some of the injustices mecha try to keep hidden." 

Soundwave nodded thoughtfully. "Care: is required," he agreed. "Good idea: celebrating poor areas. Jazz: likely to enjoy it. Harmonex temple: methods of helping locals?"

"All the things we did when we were in Iacon; fuel drives, housing projects, training, shift care for youths and elders," Brightouch shrugged lightly. "We've kept things under control here but I can see the time coming when even Harmonex won't have the funds to manage enough."

"Assistance: helpful delay. Shortages: postponed," Soundwave agreed with a frustrated sigh. "Possibility: ask Prowl for fund management suggestions. Prowl: increased family profits and stabilized core funds." 

"He must be very good if you've given him control," Brightouch didn't hide his surprise. "I'd welcome any advice, even if it's only applied here. I don't know how many higher up would find it palatable to go outside the temple for financial advice."

"Prowl: discrete," Soundwave promised even as Laserbeak contacted him and Brightouch received a comm.

~So, Prowl decided to try flying. The locals went a little crazy when they spotted him, and now he's got a small mechling taking a ride,~ Laserbeak explained. 

~Creators: limited sense.~ Soundwave groaned internally. "Local: riding Prowl."

"I've been informed that a lucky mechling is riding the first dragon seen in Harmonex," Brightouch said as he stood up and motioned for Soundwave to follow him. "Quite a crowd is gathering in the grounds to watch them."

~I'm on my way down too,~ Jazz said. ~Prowl might get stuck doing this for a while.~

~I'm sure the creators will be willing to donate a small bit of energon for the privilege of having their sparklings fly on a dragon. Especially since it's the commoners getting the chance to fly first,~ Ravage said amused. 

"Ravage: suggests getting a donation for a ride. Concern: Prowl not being allowed to stop when tired," Soundwave said as they walked towards the entrance.

"I hope I have enough authority to be able to get everyone to leave him alone, but this is a unique event. I'm more concerned about what will happen as word spreads," Brightouch admitted as they were joined by other priests heading outside to see the spectacle.

~Prowl's asking for a bit of fuel for the right. Now everyone is flipping out even more because he's talking to them,~ Laserbeak informed the approaching mecha. ~It's worse than when Jazz draws a crowd.~

~Jazz is a mech; Prowl is a mythical dragon,~ Ravage pointed out. ~The creators are talking about redesignating their mechling as Draigan Chhua. Apparently it means Dragon Touched."

~Crowd: seen Prowl's mech mode?~ Soundwave asked.

~One or two might have before we took off but I expect most haven't,~ Laserbeak replied as they entered the temple's yard.

Prowl's focus was immediately on Soundwave. "I do not mind giving a few rides though it would be much easier if I did not need to launch from the ground."

"We do have a landing are for fliers higher up on the temple if you are interested in using it. Perhaps we could arrange for designated times for flights so that you do not become tired and can properly enjoy your stay in this city?" Brightouch offered as he stepped forward to catch the attention of the crowd.

"The temple could set up a waiting list so that mechlings don't have to wait and hope they can fly with you that session," Jazz suggested as he joined the group. He quietly passed a suggestion to Soundwave, ~I think we should limit the flights to this temple. I trust your friend not to abuse Prowl's willingness and good temper.~ 

~Affirmative.~ Soundwave agreed.

"I would appreciate that and I like the idea of a set time. Two joors an orn? One early, one late in the orn," Prowl said politely and those in field contact knew he was honest about it. He focused on Soundwave and pushed a thought forward. _Favor those from this temple. Younglings too._

He nodded to Prowl but didn't try to reply silently. Prowl might tolerate it much better now but he was still uncomfortable with telepathy.

Instead Soundwave quietly connected with Brightouch. ~Prowl: top preference younglings with connections here. Prowl: not interested in nobles grabbing all chances for flights. Soundwave: suggest charge based on income.~

"I think that's a wonderful idea. We'll start making arrangements and organizing for fuel compensation with each flight," Brightouch said with a dip of his sensory panels towards the dragon. He pressed his own thoughts towards Soundwave. _We will discretely help those who need it. I appreciate greatly that Prowl has asked for so little in compensation for this favor that will be a lifelong memory for those who can fly with him._

~Soundwave: will pass that on.~ He promised.

"We'll start putting together a list now," Brightouch motioned for several of the priests to begin talking to the crowd and gathering designations of those present. "Let me show you the landing area and get you some refreshments so you'll be fully rested for tonight's flights." 

* * *

Prowl walked on two legs with his wings folded close to his back so they were nearly invisible. It left his tail and helm as the primary markers of his dragon alt but it had been explained that most folks wouldn't associate him with a flight frame without wings. As much as he'd enjoyed giving the rides and all the extra flight time he was just as glad to be invisible again against Jazz's fame for however long it lasted. Even assurances that no noble in Harmonex would dare try to imprison a dragon for the disaster it brought the sudden attention was unnerving after all the concerns of nobles claiming him early on. Soundwave's certainty of the attendant mythology was honestly the only thing that had him out today yet he was already glad for it. He got looks largely for his height. He wasn't a giant yet but like this he was as tall as the convoy class mechs he saw about.

Most of those thoughts vanished when they entered a new collection of tables around a central enclosed kitchen.

 _Koan_ the large sign on the sides of the kitchen read while each table named the item on it.

"Some of the richest fuel on Cybertron, and it's usually really acidic and spicy," Jazz explained as he headed over to look at the menu.

~Don't try to fly immediately after eating. Seekers have a hard time get into the air after consuming too much and they have thrusters,~ Laserbeak pressed through her field to Prowl. She'd taken a perch on Prowl's shoulder so that the entire family could communicate discretely. 

~Understood.~ Prowl replied though he was more concerned with the spicy part of Jazz's description. The first offering was a six layer sandwich with puffy pyrite bread Jazz bought one and split it with the symbiots. He ate half of it in one bite and then offered it to Ravage to bite half of the remainder. The last quarter was given to Prowl to hold up for Laserbeak to taste.

~What made you decide against trying?~ Laserbeak asked curiously. It was spicy but not painfully so.

~Kaon fuel is spicy. I will try a sweet if they offer,~ Prowl explained and expressed his appreciation for her reaction to the sandwich.

~How about I try something first and offer a small bite if it isn't too spicy to me?~ Laserbeak offered. ~You could even be the one to offer it to me and sniff it discretely to see if you think it would be okay. Or you can just wait and try a sweet. It's up to you.~ 

~There are only four offerings. I will try the sweet,~ Prowl decided.

~Your choice,~ Laserbeak said agreeably as Soundwave selected a thick arsenic magma gel slathered onto bauxite flavored granite bread. He broke it into pieces and offered a piece of it to each member of the family who wanted one. The next item was the sweet and Prowl bought two and Jazz another when the server explained that it really didn't work well as anything other than a single bite because of the dry ice center. Each disposable plate came with two spheres of chocotar coating a sphere of acidic jelly which was around a sphere of lightly spiced high grade gel made hard by the chill of the small piece of solid carbon dioxide suspended in the center.

~Looks like Kaonite fuel isn't your favorite. At least this is a good way to find out things like that,~ Laserbeak said as Ravage ate the last of the spheres.

~I knew it would not be. I'm inclined to skip savory Rust Sea offerings for the same reason,~ Prowl nuzzled her lightly.

"Four," Soundwave ordered enough of something called gray spotters for them and accepting Prowl's earlier preference not to have savory Kaonite fuel. The last item was small hollowed hemisphere made from an aluminum and antimony shell around a gelled drop of magma high grade laced with manganese in the center and Ravage choked slightly at the spice load. Even before he'd recovered enough to assured Prowl he was okay the center cooled the spice's bite.

Finished they cleared space for other diners. Jazz gave polite compliments to the staff about the food and even commented on the varieties of bread used in the dishes. It was easy to get used to cubed fuel and only one variety of a solid when it happened. He knew he wouldn't eat nearly the variety he did if it weren't for catered parties. Moving off they angled for the next one: Cybertropolis. 

"I bet you'll love this one Prowl. They love sweetly tart fuel," Jazz grinned at their big companion and saw the smile in return.

Ravage ordered a savory pie for them to share and Prowl just about melted. Sweet, tart, a nice acidic tang and it was even warm. 

Looking at the offerings on the tables Prowl noticed small but rich red gear apples hollowed out and stuffed with sparkleberry jam on display. There was even a single sparkleberry being used as a top plug to disguise the hole in the gear apple. He ordered three of the garnet red treats for the group to share before they moved away enough to allow new customers in. Jazz and Ravage shared one while Soundwave cut his in half to give the bottom to Laserbeak to eat off Prowl's hand and Prowl ate the third in one bite. His wings quivered in their fold at how much he liked it.

"That is everything good in fuel," Prowl rumbled-hummed and left no doubt he would willingly just eat more of those instead of continuing the food tour.

~I like that tingle in the jam,~ Ravage agreed. The cup he could do without but it was attractive and edible.

~Not my thing,~ Laserbeak decided and nudged the cored out apple and remaining jam towards Prowl.

"Thank you," he nuzzled her and very happily ate it with another burst of flavor-pleasure.

The staff seemed pleased by Prowl's pronouncement. "If you like the sparkle apples that much you should try the sandwich."

Obligingly Prowl ordered three sandwiches as well as two more apples to subspace and eat later. The sandwiches were thin slices of processed gnasher milk alternating with slivers of solar energon gel on two pieces of lead pyrite bread. 

~Can you imagine him being so relaxed just a century ago?~ Jazz smiled privately.

~Not nearly this soon. I didn't share well this fast,~ Ravage said before accepting the half sandwich that was his. Despite being on the gooey side it tasted amazing. Tangy, crunchy, a little sweet and a satisfying. "Oh, that is _good_."

"Agreed. Gnasher milk seems to be good in every form," Prowl licked his lips for the last crumb. "Last piece?" he offered it.

~Soundwave.~ Laserbeak said firmly across their mingled fields at the quickly-controlled spike of desire in the former priest.

"This trip is all about indulging," Prowl said softly and offered the piece to the host.

"Thank you," Soundwave inclined his helm and accepted the bite and the reminder of the orn.

Laserbeak accepted two tickets from Soundwave and passed them to the server at the next table for two disposable bowls filled with thick crisps spiced with aluminum and covered in several colors of energon, mineral stripes and pieces of agate.

Jazz got a chuckle watching Ravage try to figure out how to neatly eat them. Prowl resolved the issue by picking up the crisps one at a time and alternating between eating one himself and offering one to Ravage while Laserbeak hopped over to Jazz's shoulder for her share.

"Could we take an image capture for our site for the festival? You two are so fun to watch and are obviously enjoying yourselves," one of the other servers asked. 

Prowl looked at Ravage who nodded with a grin.

"Sure," Prowl answered. "What do you want us to do for it?"

"Just keep eating like you have been just now," he said excitedly as he grabbed a small vid recorder off the table behind him and turned it towards the group. "You can pick the image you want to have displayed."

"You know, a short vid would work better than just an image or two," Jazz said with some amusement as the pair quite happily continued trading bites. It felt a little weird to Prowl but it wasn't like this was anything he wasn't doing anyway. Even with the slowness of Prowl eating a goo-covered crisp and then feeding one to Ravage it didn't take long for the bowl to be empty.

"Thank you," the server said as he put the recorder back down on the table. Directing his attention to Prowl he asked, "If you don't mind we'd love to use the entire recording not just an image. Can I get your consent to use it."

~Make certain it is only for this event and not for future publicity,~ Soundwave advised Ravage as the pair looked over the consent form.

"Excuse me," a timid voice said from beside the family. "Are you Jazz?" 

"Yes," Jazz shifted to attention towards the voice.

A slender green mech stood there clutching a small image recorder. He stared starstruck at Jazz and said, "Could I get a picture with you? You are my absolute favorite artist ever. It is such a privilege to meet you in person." 

"Of course." Jazz smiled at him and slipped into his gracious 'dealing with fans' persona. "What's your designation?"

"Spring Brake," the green mech stammered as he continued to stare at Jazz. "I love all your albums, especially the dragon trilogy."

Prowl took a moment to look the small mech over and mostly dismissed him as a potential physical problem as he finished filling out the permission form. He scanned the small crowd around them for anyone else expressing interest in the musician. ~Ravage, keep your attention on this one; I'll watch the crowd for any developing issues.~

~Gotcha,~ the feline casually focused on the one Prowl didn't like while Jazz posed with Spring Brake and then two others.

"Publicity: later," Soundwave nudged Jazz vocally that their presence would soon overshadow the fuel and disrupt the event.

"Too true, love. The food has been wonderful but it's time to move on and try something else," Jazz said as he tried to extract himself from Spring Brake and his other admirers. He was helped as Prowl rose to his full height and loomed silently over the small crowd with his wings spread to their full breadth.

"Please move along," Prowl rumbled. It wasn't exactly threatening as his field was calm but it did make an impression with his shadow. 

"The dragon!" someone further away gasped.

"Yes, Prowl is the dragon that is visiting Harmonex. We'd like to continue to enjoy the Tour of the Tables in peace," Jazz said trying to salvage the situation.

"The dragon loves our food," a small, dazed voice said from behind them. It was the server who'd recorded Prowl and Ravage eating.

"That's what you're focused on right now?" another server said in a hushed whisper. 

"Well, _yeah_ ," the first whispered back.

"Leave them be," one of those who had gathered to see Jazz spoke up. "We all came for the fuel. Let's get back to tasting things."

"There will be time for some signings and pictures before and after the benefit concert," Jazz added.

There was some mutters and grumbling from the visitors around them along with excitement at another opportunity but the apparent natives of Harmonex almost immediately began complying with the speaker's suggestion. Many of them murmured apologies to the family for the disruption of their stay.

~That didn't go nearly as poorly as I thought it would,~ Laserbeak said.

"Apparently Presul Brightouch wasn't exaggerating when he said that the locals would respect a dragon's rights as much as anyone else's," Jazz remarked to Soundwave, pleased with the resolution of the situation and Prowl's calm performance during it. 

"It's nice," Prowl trilled at it as his tail orb wiggled a bit between his refolded wings. "Let's try the Gygax fuels," he pointed to a table with some open spaces.

Soundwave caught a small bit of satisfaction from a femme who had approached the femme who'd helped settle down the crowd. He recognized her as one of the guards assigned to them by Brightouch.

The patrons at the Gygax tables murmured a bit among themselves as the family entered and looked over the available options, but no one broke the unofficial orders and approached them for images or autographs. Ravage looked over the offerings. ~I'd like to try the grilled orange crevasse claws.~

"Those look tasty," Prowl agreed. "I'm curious what the slivers of meat are that most are avoiding." 

"Meat: Orszem from Csillagos Szentély," Soundwave informed them.

"I'll try it," Ravage spoke up.

"It's _meat_. It can't be that bad," Laserbeak chirped her agreement to share with her brother.

"We'll take three of the meat strips and four grilled orange crevasse claws," Jazz told the servers.

"Just a warning, the orszem meat is an acquired taste," the server said as he placed three strips of meat and five small nickel shards on a plate and handed it over.

"We've heard in Hound's vids," Prowl said and hesitantly accepted the two half pieces he was given with the plate and all the shavings. His sensory glossa flickered in a pre-taste and something that was pure instinct drew his helm back.

"Prowl?" Jazz asked after he tried the grilled orange crevasse claws. "These are good."

"Do you have sense-coding to keep you from eating poison?" Prowl asked.

"Some. We know it's not though," Jazz reminded him firmly.

"Not to you," Prowl agreed readily. "I think I would rather go hungry than risk this," he really did sound apologetic.

Ravage's face twisted into a grimace as he almost spit the small piece of meat out. ~Are we sure that's fresh and isn't degrading? It tastes vile.~

"Try the nickel; it'll help clear some of the taste out," the server suggested. 

Prowl willingly gave his nickel with Ravage while Soundwave subspaced his piece to find out what element caused Prowl's reaction later. There was no telling how useful a dragon repellent might become.

"It's not bad at all, though I do have a form designed to digest carrion," Laserbeak chirped and nosed the nickel sliver for her across the plate for him.

"Thanks. That was an experience," Ravage regained his manners after the nickel and looked at the server. "Hound definitely described it well. Omnivore meat?"

"Yes," the server sounded surprised. "What gave it away?"

"It wasn't very spicy. He said that the higher up the food chain the spicier things are in Csillagos Szentély," Ravage explained to a delighted smile that anyone might know that much about the estate.

"Take a sniff of the crevasse claw. I don't think it's from the same area of Gygax as the orszem," Jazz suggested to Ravage and Prowl. He wasn't willing to try the orszem himself and passed his half strip to Laserbeak to eat. She got Prowl's as well.

Ravage took a long careful sniff before trying a bite of the crevasse claw. ~Not bad.~ 

"It's not," the server promised. "The grilled robo-deer is the only orszem we serve."

It went down just as quickly for Prowl. "Strange but tasty."

"Crevasse claws are aquatic relatives of arachnotrons. Personally I think most of them are really tasty, but this type are a luxury back home since they only come close to shore during a short breeding season," the server explained. 

"It explains why they taste so much like the bugs I used to catch," Prowl grinned.

"I've eaten a few arachnotrons in my time, but I prefer the taste of the aquatic ones," the server admitted. He looked around briefly and lowered his voice. "My mate is a beastformer. She transforms into a short eared oil dancer and hunts along the coast of one of the larger lakes. We eat some of her catch but most is sold to merchants who supply restaurants and wealthier houses. I got chosen to come here partially because I'm so familiar with this ingredient." 

Prowl perked up but kept his voice low in response to how he was spoken to. "Do you live in Csillagos Szentély?"

"No by my mate has family that resides there," he said after pausing to serve another patron although most seemed to be encouraging him to talk to and entertain the dragon. "I've heard some amazing and frightening stories about that estate." 

"So have I. I suspect it is more dangerous that it is made out to be if you are used to city life," Prowl said. "I think it would be worth the effort to experience it so long as there is someone who knows the area to keep you safe. Do any dragon-kin live there, even by rumor?"

"From what I understand there are no records of dragons of any kind in Csillagos Szentély although I believe there have been past sightings of robodragons and cyber-wyverns in the rest of Gygax," the server said after a klik of thought. 

"Probably because of what the prey smells like. Thank you," Prowl said as he caught that he was monopolizing the server and walked off with his family.

"Good orn to you," the server called out before turning back to his other customers.

"Where to now?" Jazz asked as Prowl rejoined the group. 

~Altihex and then Tesarus?~ Laserbeak suggested the two nearest to them.

~I like that idea,~ Ravage agreed. 

* * *

"Results: received," Soundwave said as he entered the landing area where Prowl was preening with the family's help and stretching before he started giving flights to the fifty-four lucky riders this joor. "Orszem: toxic to dragons."

"No wonder it smelled bad to you," Jazz observed from where he was making sure every bit of dust was out of the complex wing-joint.

"That is good to know," Prowl accepted the confirmation of his smelling glossa. "As rare as it is to object to fuel I was sure it was. I can consume rotten organics without that objection. They may taste horrid but they don't smell of _don't-eat_."

"It's disturbing that you know that about rotten organic fuel for a fact. Laserbeak knowing it I would understand given her species," Ravage commented from where he was meticulously cleaning part of Prowl's tail. He'd already gone over the dragon's legs and checked for any contaminating particles there.

"It makes visiting the estate a bit problematic. Not that I'm truly keen to go somewhere that blatantly dangerous," Jazz admitted. He'd watched the documentary on the orszem and been very disturbed by what the different species were capable of doing. 

"Agreed. It could be interesting as a glide over if we're ever in Gygax but that's as close as I really want to get," Prowl agreed while he worked on the flight surfaces of the wing Jazz wasn't working on.

"That's as close as most of us want to get," Laserbeak agreed from her position checking the tips of Prowl's wings. "There's curiosity and then there's suicidal behavior."

"Personally I'd like to take a trip around the Rust Sea to see some of the more extreme areas. I've heard about calcified critters covered in protective crystals in some of the harsher areas," Ravage said as Presul Brightouch walked into the area and approached the family. 

"That could be interesting," Prowl willingly agreed.

"Prowl, thank you for indulging the youth. They have begun to arrive if you are ready." Brightouch told them.

"I am," Prowl promised and shook himself out after his family moved a few steps away. "I enjoy giving them rides."

"The priests will be relieved that our flock is not inconveniencing you," Brightouch said.  
"They are not. I promised Soundwave I would tell him if too many demands were made of me," Prowl said and wiggled a greeting to the first of the families to arrive. "Hello," he took a step towards them. "What is my passenger's designation?"

"The first passenger is Starhope. She's the grounder creation of an Aerial and a grounder that live near the temple," Brightouch said as a priest escorted the trio onto the balcony. "Would it be an issue if her carrier flies along side of you and records the trip to show her grandcreators?" 

"I do not mind," he answered Brightouch before focusing on the apparent flier of the adults. "I do not fly as you are used to so please keep at least five winglengths away. I do not have engines and rely on the wind staying under my wings."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said respectfully and launched up into the air to get far enough out of Prowl's way but still be able to record the entire flight. His mate walked Starhope over to Prowl and gave the dragon a small bow. He relaxed and lowered his chest as flat at he could so the youth could climb onto his shoulders.

He turned his helm to check her positioning and look at her as he spoke. "Get a good grip and relax. Try to let me make any corrections to our balance." 

"I will," she promised as she got a good grip on his frame. "Does this hurt? Am I holding on too tightly?"

Laserbeak had to muffle a chuckle at the misplaced concern. 

"It does not hurt at all," Prowl assured her before walking to the edge, getting a good teek on his passenger and launching forward with his wings wide to catch the wind before they began to beat to gain altitude.

"She's so small on his back yet he's so careful with her," the grounder said to the small crowd as he watched his creation soar through the sky on dragon's wings. 

"Prowl's a good spark. He wants her to have a good time not be afraid," Jazz smiled at the sight. "He's given Ravage a few rides and spoken of letting me ride when he's large enough. I think they give their own little ones rides like this."

"He's going to get bigger?" the creator looked at Jazz in almost disbelief.

"Prowl: not yet adult," Soundwave said. 

"Much, much bigger. His kind never stops growing, though it does slow down a lot once they're an adult. It's only 0.001% of their mass per vorn but it adds up over centuries," Jazz grinned at him before looking back at Prowl as the dragon began a wide circle around the temple. "Right now he's just a mechling."

"How old is he?" the creator asked.

"Assuming everyone did the math correctly about eighty-one hundred vorns," Jazz said easily. "They grow _slowly_."

"Incredible. I can't imagine having Starhope as a sparkling for that long," he said and stared up at Prowl imagining him even larger and capable of carrying an adult mech.

As the flight came near to its end another family followed a priest up to the entrance and watched Prowl soar around in the sky and heading for a smooth landing that involved a lot of flapping to land on his hindquarters first and gently lower his front down before walking over to her creator.

It was a pattern that followed for several more families before there was an arrival off schedule.

"Lady Songnote of House Tradewind wishes to speak to Jazz," the priest introduced her.

Jazz looked over at the lilac and periwinkle femme. He assumed the crystal and copper decorations were for the festival. His first thought was that she was either here wanting to schedule a small concert or wanted something from Prowl. Glad Brightouch was here and paying discrete attention, he said, "Good orn, m'lady." 

"I understand the dragon is yours," she spoke with the careful harmonics of a noble that intended to give nothing away of what answer she wanted.

"He is my employee and friend," Jazz replied, mentally shifting from performer to advocate. "My conjunx endura and I rescued him from slavery and helped him regain his freedom."

Ravage paid close attention to the pair even as he pretended to be focused upon Prowl's flight. There were a lot of ways this conversation could go badly, and he wanted to be ready for any problems. 

Songnote nodded slightly. "Then I invite you to a small party to celebrate having a dragon in Harmonex. A transport will arrive at joor thirty on the one forty forth."

"Prowl will be landing soon. Your offer should be extended to him directly," Jazz said as he glanced up at the dragon making his way down for another landing.

It earned him a curious look and her focus shifted to the incoming dragon. Despite her fine self-control most close to her caught an excitement very similar to the youths and their creators as he landed and came close. With his passenger delivered safely Prowl shifted his focus to the noble Laserbeak had warned wanted to speak to him.

"Greetings and good orn," Prowl said politely, mindful that this was someone important that could make trouble for him and the family even as he teeked her excitement at meeting him. 

She resisted the urge to touch though didn't manage to keep it from her field. "I am Lady Songnote of House Tradewind. I am hosting a small party in your honor and would have you attend."

Ravage almost snorted at the presumptuousness of planning a party and inviting guests before mentioning it to the guest of honor. It was typical of nobles, although he had to admit most would be practically demanding Prowl appear instead of almost asking.

Prowl decided to test her and her attitude while not trying to give offense. "When will the party be? I will not disappoint the younglings by not being here for their scheduled flights." 

Despite her surprise she answered smoothly. "Joor thirty on the one forty forth. A transport will be sent for you."

"We will look forward to the party," Prowl replied trying to make it clear he would not be going anywhere without the others. He might have been told the nobles of this city wouldn't try to cage him, but he preferred to be cautious rather than enslaved again. 

"Thank you," she smiled softly and inclined her helm as she would to another high-ranking noble before leaving.

"She was a lot less demanding than most of the nobles at home would have been in this situation," Jazz said quietly to Brightouch as Prowl went back over to give a ride to a green femmeling that had been patiently waiting while he spoke with Lady Songnote.

"Dragons: revered in Harmonex," Soundwave said. 

"It seems so," Jazz hummed. "I think the next two orns is going to be full of refreshers on how to deal with nobles."

"Affirmative," Soundwave said as the pair watched Prowl once again take to the air. 

* * *

"Well that went better than I expected," Laserbeak said as the family gathered in Jazz and Soundwave's room after the party was over. "At least Lady Songnote's mechling wasn't a brat about the ride."

"No one tried to capture Prowl or belittled any of us. I'd call it a success," Ravage said from his spot at the end of the berth next to Prowl who was nearly comatose from overindulgence and radiating how content and happy he felt being stuffed well past the point where most would purge. His armor wasn't really open the way it did when he truly drank all he could but though who knew him well could easily see how it had shifted to accommodate.

"I'm sure they want more. Just not sure what," Prowl added.

"Affirmative. Many wish Prowl to move to Harmonex and _their_ tower." Soundwave confirmed. 

"You know how you were a status symbol for me back in Iacon? Well here you're an even bigger deal. Harmonex has always had an obsession with dragons, and you're one of the few left on Cybertron and probably the only one on speaking terms with mecha," Jazz said. "We're lucky there are so many legends about how bad luck follows anyone who cages such a powerful being. It helps to a lesser degree that so many commoners are excited that you appeared at one of their temples and not the main one in the city." 

"At least we know some nobles that are likely to help us if we need it without making me a pet," Prowl said with a small frame adjustment and sighed happily. "I got the impression that paying for my presence in favors or shanix is not something most would mind doing." 

"Affirmative," Soundwave agreed.

"Lady Songnote got the big coup by being the first to get you to appear, but others are going to try to outdo her," Ravage agreed as he enjoyed Prowl's happiness. "If someone convinces you to move here even part time they'll be the hit of the social scene. If you moved onto a noble's estate even temporarily they'd have bragging rights for generations to come."

"Don't be surprised if you get offers for dinners, flight outings from the aerial nobles, or even tasting parties. After all, if your creation is bonding having a dragon approve of the diner courses might be considered a sign of good fortune," Laserbeak chuckled. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if a bonding offer or two comes along," Ravage chuckled.

Prowl just snorted. "That is a bit much."

"Not really," Ravage nuzzled him. "Nobles bond for politics all the time. They're odd folk. To be able to claim a dragon in the sparkline around here, and not have it be a rumor? I just hope it doesn't occur to any of them."

"How careful should I be in accepting these offers? I would rather avoid being caught in politics." Prowl focus on Jazz and Soundwave.

"Always be careful about anything that sounds open-ended," Jazz explained. "If someone is talking about you coming for a visit to their estate always make certain to have an end date stated. Be very leery of anytime they say 'you can pay me back later' or 'I'll just need a small favor later'. That inevitably means trouble."

"Think of it like the stock market; you want to diversify. If you own too much of one stock you're at risk if something happens to it. If you favor one noble over any others, you risk losing a lot if they lose status," Ravage had listened enough to Prowl over the vorns that he figured his limited analogy might be sound. "So, for example, if Lady Songnote asks you to come to another one of her parties, make certain to accept another noble's offer of a hunting trip first." 

Prowl nodded thoughtfully. "That all sounds reasonable and logical. What if she asks for another appearance and no one else has asked yet?"

"Then you need to weigh how much importance the invite has to you and her. Unfortunately, that can involve an understanding of the nobility that takes centuries to understand," Jazz said with a grimace, having navigated versions of this game in Iacon. "Continuing to do things for the commoners like the flights here at the temple will help mitigate your connections with her in the event that happens. The temple is usually its own social entity and has connections only the highest nobility can touch. You could think of it as adding a different asset to the portfolio like real estate." 

Prowl nodded again and went still while the others chatted about the fuel, various guests and servants and the party itself while he processed on his own. It was nearly a breem before Prowl focused in on the conversation again.

"How does one ask for payment for these appearances? It doesn't seem the same as when Panna Dil asks for my time." 

"If you had a manager they'd arrange for payment as well as the other odd tidbits that occur typically by talking to a high-ranked household servant. Things like how much to charge if there are multiple mechlings that want a ride or if a microbot is present whether they can or not would be worked out in advance so you don't get surprised with something you are uncomfortable about," Jazz thought for a moment before turning to Soundwave. "Could you act as his temporary manager through this? It's a bit odd given he has a contract with me as a guard, but it wouldn't be that unusual since he still lives with us." 

Soundwave considered it for a moment and nodded. "Soundwave's fee: 10%. Formal arrangement: settled after we return to Iacon."

"Agreed," Prowl nodded and relaxed in his trust of Soundwave to deal with the fees and arrangements as he did with Jazz.

"Thanks to my career he's used to dealing with nobles so that will make things easier for you here," Jazz said with a grin, enjoying how the dragon continued to trust them despite everything he'd been through in the past and his initial fear of Cybertronians. 

"I saw a weird image of a dragon at a store near the Nova Cronum booth. It had ten legs and the same spiky fake-crystal armor as the local mechanimals," Laserbeak commented having grown bored with the discussion about shanix. 

"Ten legs?" Prowl cocked his helm. "That sounds more like a crawler-bug turned monster. What made it a dragon?"

"A pair of big wings and a head shaped a lot like yours," Laserbeak explained as she briefly preened her own wing. "I've seen all kinds of weird imagery of dragons here particularly just outside the tourist areas. Multi-headed cyber-zilants that looked like hydroids with wings. Cyber-wyverns lacking a tail spike and breathing out flower petals. Large robodragons with multiple horns on their heads and lines of plateback plates down their backs. Dragons with avianoid wings and markings perched on crystal outgrowths."

"Some of those are real. I cannot think of a dragon with more limbs than I have. Though with the variance I know I suppose it is possible," he pinged her for images out of curiosity.

Laserbeak obliged by sending everyone copies of the images she'd seen and waited for their reactions.

"The avianoid dragons look like they could be types of mecha-dragonets rather than robodragons," Ravage said after some study. "I could easily see Vos breeding domesticated ones like that the way other mecha breed circuithounds or pigeonoids." 

"Imagination produces some fascinating ideas," Prowl decided. "Some of these are quite attractive."

"Yeah, I could actually see using versions of some of these patterns for parties especially the avianoid patterns," Jazz agreed having looked them all over. "The one with the spiky armor appears to be wish-fulfillment for a native dragon species since so many mechanimals around here have that armor-type." 

"What a local dragon might have looked like," Prowl hummed. "Other than the extra legs it is quite plausible on Hausnest. Dragons do vary a great deal in appearance."

"The extra legs really throw me off because I can't figure out the practicality of it," Ravage agreed absentminded filling away the further information on dragons like he routinely did when talking to Prowl. "Unless the species spent most of its time on the ground in uneven terrain. Then it could balance while still using multiple legs to attack." 

"It could also be useful for digging out a cave or if they hunt small prey so it could grab several at once," Prowl suggested.

"That's a possibility. It could also be primarily subterranean in origin," Ravage said with a small nod. "It could perch on ceilings with the claws and reach down to grab prey."

"It's like listening to them debate whether the hooded penta-lernahydroid is real," Jazz said quietly to Soundwave. 

"It is fun trying to justify imaginary creatures," Prowl snickered. "The universe creates life stranger than anything anyone can imagine."

"I don't know, the uniclawed tooth-jaw is pretty crazy," Ravage said before breaking out into chuckles against Prowl's neck. "Seriously, it's a very good thing that you are so welcome here since it gives you options if Iacon's nobles start giving you problems."

"Might not be a bad idea for all of us to look at a vacation home here," Laserbeak said. "We'd have good access to the Rust Sea and Jazz would have a new area for inspiration."

"That would prevent nobles from trying to get you to live on their estates," Jazz said thoughtfully. 

"Doubtful. Boon: having a dragon in their residence still significant," Soundwave countered.

"It is nice here though it could become tiring if they never calm down," Prowl pointed out. "A good place to keep in mind though."

"So Iacon for daily life with Harmonex as a retreat and pampering center," Laserbeak chuckled. "The nobles will pay for any kind of spa treatment and energon you want just to have you hang out in their tower."

Prowl considered that and nodded. He was sure he could get the hang of getting time to himself and to recharge after a while. It wouldn't be nearly as tiring once he'd gotten used to it.

* * *

From above the roof of the laboratory complex where Skyfire did much of his work on planet the shuttle-former hovered and watched with endless fascination for the purely mechanical flight of his friend and lab assistant as Prowl leapt off the roof and dropped a length before his wings caught enough air to lift him up. It didn't matter how well he knew the physics of such flight. To see it in action in such a large being was amazing every time.

Once Prowl caught up to him they started towards Skyfire's home for a relaxing night after a long day in the laboratory. After a few kliks, Prowl asked, "How is Perceptor so knowledgeable on that many scientific areas?" 

"He was custom built for the sciences with a very advanced processor, the software to view everything scientifically and educated non-stop from his sparking," Skyfire rattled off. "He is brilliant; likely the best research-inventor of his generation."

"It's an honor to be working with him then," Prowl replied impressed by Perceptor's credentials and Skyfire's apparent respect for the scientist.

"It's an honor for me as well," Skyfire said. "His time is very valuable." 

"Do you know why he agreed then? I did not realize he was that special," Prowl asked.

"He enjoys broadening his knowledge of different fields, and the work I have been doing comparing the orszem to some of my studies on exobiology caught his attention sufficiently for this diversion of his time," Skyfire said.

"Are they like anything you have encountered elsewhere?" Prowl asked with genuine curiosity.

"Not sufficiently to indicate they are not native to Cybertron and the area. The mineral and other qualities of the estate are unique enough to expect unusually unique creatures there." Skyfire answered smoothly.

"They are definitely unique. Scary too," Prowl's armor shivered a bit.

"Their coding is complicated and like nothing I've quite seen before. It's fascinating until I think about how they actually behave. Then they disturb me as well," Skyfire agreed. "The antroids are incredibly disturbing to contemplate. We're fortunate they all seem restricted to that environment." 

"The estate likes it that way as well, I expect. They make a potent defensive force for a group that otherwise has little ability to hold land," Prowl mused and caught a strong updraft to enjoy the flight. He knew his maneuvers were nothing to Skyfire to keep up with. "There is good reason there is only one beastformer noble estate."

"There are very few beastformers and they tend to stick to less populated regions and terrain that suits them. It makes it difficult to gain political power most places," Skyfire agreed as he easily followed Prowl through the sky. Getting to observe a large mechanical flier this closely would help him later with his studies of other avianoids. "I know they are popular in the military in scouting positions." 

"That is now. How it became that way is less about beastformer preferences and more about survival in an extremely hostile environment. Even your histories acknowledge it. Theirs are much more blunt about it."

"It doesn't surprise me," Skyfire sighed. "Even shuttles have had difficulties at times in certain city-states, and we fit with the standard frame types of Cybertronians. Too many mecha fear what they perceive as different, and groups like the Functionalists use that fear to gain power and exploit the masses." 

"Add in a Prime with a hatred of non-vehicle frames and it creates a slaughter in the name of unification," Prowl abruptly snapped his jaw shut. "He was probably the first Functionalist."

"Which Prime was that?" Skyfire asked carefully. This was as blatant as Prowl had ever been about the reason his colony had fled Cybertron. It was also the best chance Skyfire had to figure out when it had happened. 

"Alpha," Prowl spat the designation glyph as he knew it, full of hate, betrayal and loss. It bore little resemblance to the revered one known on Cybertron.

"Not the most glorious of our leaders," Skyfire agreed after stripping the designation to its base. It was speaking almost sacrilege as far as many Cybertronians were concerned. The confirmation of this hatred of Alpha Prime specifically was the confirmation that Skyfire had been looking for. He understood Prowl's reticence to discuss where his world had come from, but the dragons of Hausnest were obviously originally from Cybertron. If they had left Cybertron and moved to a colony world because of prejudice Alpha Prime may well have inflamed the issue and caused a rift even out there on the colony world. If he truly wanted to pursue it he could probably figure out what colony they originated from given the current information, but it wasn't really important right now. Keeping Prowl's trust was more important than learning about a world he had no intention of tracking down and exposing to the rest of Cybertron. The rest was ancient history and only important to his curiosity.

Prowl looked over with surprise. "Not to those he did not like. He did well in unifying the majority and eliminating the competition. Here he was the victor."

"And the victor records the public historical record even if the temples and archives claim otherwise. I am not a fan of Functionalists. I have seen remarkable species destroyed on worlds simply because the colonists did not appreciate or understand them. Species of organics and mechanimals that we could have gained insight from if they hadn't been destroyed," Skyfire grumbled. "Not everything has an obvious function, even many domestics simply exist to please their owners. Sometimes it takes a lot of time to figure out why a species came into existence." 

Prowl thought on that and on his own education's moral standard.

"They all came about for the same reason," he eventually said as Skyfire's home tower came into view. "They survived and reproduced better than their competition. Even domestics were created that way. The only difference between why creatures kill and sentients kill is that sentients will kill when it does not benefit them."

"Agreed although figuring out how the surviving species outperformed the competition is occasionally a little more challenging than simple observation implies," Skyfire said as he leveled out for a landing. "The orszem are mechanimals that adapted to thrive in their specific environment. Calcified mechanimals adapted to the harsh environments of the Rust Sea. Variation in coding is one of the things the Functionalists despised, but it is that variation that brings about the changes life thrives upon." 

Prowl circled until Skyfire landed and walked inside before angling in for his landing. After coming here for vorns his landing was as smooth as the Shuttle's though it did involve a lot of wing flapping and shifting his frame's angle to set down on his hind legs first before letting his forelimbs drop while his wings folded.

"Variation is what allows life to survive surprises and drastic changes," Prowl agreed and walked into the living room that was becoming a second home to him. He had no issues with where Jazz lived but he couldn't deny it was nice to be somewhere proportioned for him. "The more specialized a species is the shorter its species lifespan typically is."

"That is a truth myself and other exobiologists have observed on many worlds," Skyfire watched Prowl settle comfortably into a chair. It struck him once again how much the dragon had grown and how much bigger he would eventually get. Already more than twice his size on arrival and he still wasn't an adult. "I sometimes worry that certain Cybertronian frame-types are disappearing and others are becoming too static in form and frame."

Prowl cocked his helm. "How can a frametype go extinct? Do you not scan your forms?"

"We scan our forms but it is the coding inside that is often different. Seekers have parts of their coding that vary from what is found in Aerials and other fliers. Variations like that are not always inherited by descendants from mixed frame pairings," Skyfire tried to find a way to explain the concern. "If the Seekers were all but exterminated, the unique aspects of their coding could eventually disappear. There is also no guarantee those unique aspects could be implanted successfully in another frame type. Hosts for example require specifically modified frames to be successful. If you lose the ability to create those frames; you lose hosts and symbiots."

"Hunh," Prowl grunted as he was forced to re-think what Cybertronians were and how divergent their types might be. It took him the better part of two kliks to speak again. "Why not reproduce the process that created the first ones? If you know what you want you can breed and modify it into existence. Surely the coding of the various unique types are recorded and understood after so long."

"In many cases, that is true. Unfortunately we don't always know what the unique distinctions are between frame-types," Skyfire agreed before heading over to his dispenser. "Would you care for a drink while we relax? I think I have some cuprous oxide and gold around for flavoring if you're interested."

"Always," Prowl grinned at him and flicked his wings in thanks. "What kinds of things are not coding or spark?"

"Things like why there are three kinds of Seekers. A Seeker is created as a mech or a femme like other frame types, but at some stage they emerge as either a Vision, an Order or an Action which changes the focus of their existence. To my knowledge no one knows why this happens or can predict which of the three a specific fledgling will be," Skyfire said as he added a bit of each flavoring to Prowl's energon and his own. 

"It could not be a spark trait?" Prowl asked as he worked on the idea of coding that couldn't be understood. It went against his understanding of coding but he willingly admitted his education in it was only a basic one.

"It's a possible explanation but if so why does it only show up in Seekers? Some believe it has something to do with the trine coding they possess, but triad coding in grounders doesn't have the same effect." Skyfire said as he took a seat. "I don't understand the differences between triad and trine coding, but I've read articles by experts who say that there isn't enough of a difference to explain the discrepancy." 

"Are you sure the discrepancy is not a social construct?" Prowl asked. "Things can be instilled by social pressure."

"I'm not certain of anything, and I'm not a Seeker or in a position where I could find out," Skyfire took a drink. "I know from historical records that ignoring trine coding can offline someone, but I don't know if that result is from social pressure or the actual coding doing it." 

Prowl's jaw dropped open, his energon briefly forgotten. "That ... is quite extreme. It must do something incredibly important to have such dire consequences."

"I've heard reports that the Seeker involved often goes insane before offlining. I know of mechanimals who offline if they don't interface during a breeding cycle but nothing quite like this in any other Cybertronian frame-type," Skyfire said remembering his own shock at that revelations. "It's one of the strongest arguments for Seekers being considered a separate frame-type from other fliers." 

"Agreed," Prowl said quietly and kept his thought that it might just make Seekers more different from Cybertronians than dragons are. "Is it known when they came about?"

"The first records of Seekers I'm aware of are from around the time of Vector Prime who followed Alpha Prime," Skyfire explained after thinking back to the historical records. "Vector Prime eventually stepped down as Prime and disappeared into history." 

"A Prime that gave up power?" Prowl tried to comprehend that. "No one with power surrenders it willingly."

"I know that Vector Prime expanded the Empire and is remembered as a good and wise leader. During his reign he was rumored to have made contact with a mythical race called the Alternity and eventually abdicated before vanishing into space. There are no records of his deactivation, and no trace of his path afterwards has ever been discovered." 

Prowl paused briefly in looking up what the Alternity were. "Cybertronians do not live very long." Statement, question, trying to understand. "Alpha Prime is in living memory on Hausnest."

"Some Cybertronians are still around from that time, but most of us do not tend to survive that long," Skyfire agreed even as he marveled at a race that routinely existed that long. "Those whose work is dangerous or particularly strenuous tend to offline quicker. Remember, as a species we reach full physical maturity much quicker than your species." 

"Yes, yes," Prowl nodded and tried to make the marker in his memory about that stronger. "That is true on Hausnest as well. Fighting dragons rarely become Pais. I forget that damage is not the only reason Cybertronians extinguish."

"Direct or indirect damage are often the causes of deactivation. Strenuous work with inadequate medical care will also eventually degrade a frame to the point of deactivation," Skyfire pointed out. "Someone like me might be deactivated during an exploration mission if I receive too much damage. Otherwise I have limited stress and access to good fuel and treatments; I expect to live a very long time." 

Prowl chewed on that and its inherent contradictions to his understanding of things as he sipped his energon.

"Is the quality of fuel and repair is the primary determiner of how long a Cybertronian lives?" he asked as he carefully worked through issues he didn't understand.

"Those are important factors but not the only ones. Some claim that a mecha will survive longer if they remain stimulated mentally and socially. The stubborn tend to stick around out of spite or sheer determination. Those who are stuck in a monotonous existence often fade out earlier than those who are stimulated and well suited to their function and place in society," Skyfire said slowly. "If a mecha is sparked from Vector Sigma into an adult frame they do not tend to survive as long as a sparkling-created mecha. We don't know the inherent reason for that discrepancy but it is believed by some to be due to the lack of that developmental stage." 

Prowl nodded and took a drink. "Lack of desire to continue is a major reason dragons extinguish. It seems likely to be true here as well. Yet politicians, priests, nobles, scientists do not seem to live that much longer."

"I sometimes wonder if the social schemes that nobles and politicians get trapped in turns monotonous as the centuries pass," Skyfire said thoughtfully. "You also have the loss of family and friends to consider. Old age can be isolating in its own right." 

Prowl went silent for a long klik as he stared at his energon. "Isolation is difficult," he murmured. "I can understand that. Eventually it might not be worth continuing."

"Isolation can be devastating but it is possible to make new connections and create more friendships," Skyfire extended his field to send his comfort and friendship to the dragon. 

"I know," Prowl promised and entwined their fields to reassure Skyfire he was nowhere near that point. He only understood it existed and could calculate how it happened. "I have several here. I have hope of going home. I can do well here for a long time." He paused and hummed. "A goal and a plan is worth more than hope when it comes to surviving. I have all three."

"Hope is an important component; it's gotten me through some tough times out in space. I'm curious how your fundraising is going. Have the ancient and current star charts helped you figure out anything regarding location or directions? Do you have an idea how long it will take to get home?" Skyfire asked. "I freely admit to having no interest in letting anyone know where you intend to go. You're world doesn't need to unwillingly encounter Cybertronians again." 

Prowl winced at the very idea. "There is no way for that to go well. Even if younger generations might be willing to speak the Elders who remember our last encounter would not and their rulings are law. I do have a good idea what direction to start out on and I know what races and governments are in the quadrant. I intend to head that direction until comms get me close enough to get a response and more accurate heading. It took two centuries to get here with most of that being on some world or another. It should not take much longer to get home. Even if it goes badly I can survive without fuel for centuries and ages past that in stasis to be found. Once I can no longer control the ship is where hope comes in."

"Do you have someone who you know you can contact once you get in range?" Skyfire asked pleased that Prowl had at least that much of a plan already but not wanting him to be disappointed. "It's been some time since you've been home. I hope it's not the case but your contact might not be in a position to help you now." 

Prowl cycled his optics and tried to make sense of the question. Eventually he simply gave up and listed those who he expected would answer a call from him. "My creator. My Elder. A dozen priests. All my creator's co-workers; fellow security specialists. My siblings will be adults by now. Anyone from my mauna. I know what to say to anyone in the priesthood or government to get help. Any Elder would answer a call for help even from another mauna's dragon especially a dragon my age and promise."

"That's a relief. I'm glad you can expect that kind of help," Skyfire said genuinely pleased that Prowl appeared to have that kind of support network back home. It was a big enough list that he figured the dragon would have someone to go home to and was a stark contrast to what some city-states would do with a long lost mechling. "Your creator is a security specialist?" 

"That is what she said when I asked what her function is. I do not really know what she does other than she keeps things safe," Prowl nodded.

"She keeps your clan safe or the world safe?" Skyfire asked suspicious of exactly what kind of career Prowl's carrier truly had. It didn't sound like she was in law enforcement. 

Prowl went silent and dug around his memories for anything specific enough to say. "I know she installs local security systems like the ones we both have. She did in every place I lived on Hausnest. Once we were old enough to spend much of the orn in specialized education she might be gone for a vorn or more and said there might be decades when I could not see her once I was an adult. She did not speak of what she did very often. Her co-workers said even less of it."

"Sounds like she works to keep at least your section of your world safe," Skyfire said, mentally deciding that this sounded like a version of ISO. He was sure she wasn't military with Prowl's various mentions of 'fighting dragons' and how she wasn't one. If she was ISO the slavers had taken the offspring of one of the worst possible choices. It wouldn't surprise him if the slavers and several of his previous owners were offlined as she tracked down her stolen creation.

"She works very hard," Prowl nodded with deep respect for his creator. "I am honestly glad it was decided that I would not follow her as most of my siblings would. Even what little I know of it it is not an existence I want. Being small is not pleasant."

"I admit I'm pleased to have a friend my size who shares my passion for science," Skyfire said. "Do they have to starve themselves to remain small? It seems like a hard choice to make and stick to given how much fuel you seem to consume on a regular basis." 

"I expect so. The only way I know of for a dragon to remain their current size is to consume no more than they use. I would find it a miserable existence if I could manage it at all. I already know I prefer rocks and organics to hunger. It takes a special kind of dragon to stay small surrounded by fuel," Prowl answered with deep respect for those that could do what he could not conceive of. "We are coded as a race to grow. To ignore that," he shook his helm in amazement that it could be done.

"Like a flier ignoring the sky and not using their wings," Skyfire said with a small murmur drawing the only parallel he could think of here. "The amount of sheer stubbornness someone like that possesses is both impressive and maddening. Impressive that they do it; maddening when you have to argue with it." 

That drew a chuckle from Prowl and amused wiggle of his wings. "Indeed. One learns quickly how to tell debate from argument and to just give up when the argument starts. Despite her size she is playful and fun. It was a standing joke that I must be from someone else's egg snuck into the hatching ground."

"I don't know, you seem to have a good sense of humor to me. It's just more subtle and sneaks up on the unwary," Skyfire finished his own drink and relaxed back in his chair. "Your temperament might be ill-suited for security work, but there should be no shame in finding your own passion." 

Prowl smiled as thanks and amusement curled through his field. "No shame at all. My creator was very proud that I was selected to be fast tracked to size and entered the sciences. That I continued to excel in my studies as they became more advanced than she could help with always gave her teek a thrill. As stressful and lonely as this has been I have learned so much that will advance understanding on Hausnest. There are fields of study well known here that I had not even heard of."

"Perhaps we could talk to Perceptor about important documents in those fields that you could bring back with you," Skyfire said thoughtfully. "We don't have to necessarily mention that you intend to leave Cybertron eventually, but he seems to encourage the spread of scientific knowledge and would have a better understanding of what is important in those fields." 

"That would be amazing. So far I have downloaded or bought documents as I could find them. Many students are grateful to recoup even a fraction of the bookfile fees after they take a course especially ones that have become outdated," Prowl trilled eagerly. "I was excited to bring even the basics back. Data takes up no space and no power so it is a wonderful thing to carry."

"Most of the basic texts shouldn't be that expensive if they aren't open source," Skyfire said thinking things over. "Especially if the field has existed for a long time. The more obscure knowledge would probably be the more expensive." 

Prowl nodded eagerly and cooed in excitement. "Sometimes all it takes to find out as much as I can understand and more is to know what terms to search for. The datanet is _massive_ on a level I am still trying to grasp. I will go home with how to access it once in range. The inventor types might work out a way to connect without giving us away." He paused and hummed thoughtfully. "Sometimes I think I could exist in it permanently. Some of the VR areas are amazing."

"They are although I would miss truly flying too much to stay there forever," Skyfire agreed. "I can give you stellar maps to tell you how far out in different directions I can access the datanet. That keeps the knowledge of which direction you intend to go to head home safe." 

"That would be very useful," Prowl accepted with honest thanks and hummed. "Do you know what your next expedition will be?"

"Bobstay and I working on drumming up some support to go to Atlatix and study some of the aquatic lifeforms that have developed there. Bobstay's specialty is studying hydroforms on organic worlds, and he founds some old records that look intriguing. The main goal is to compare the development of some of the larger lifeforms which seem superficially similar to our cephalopods, particularly the nautiloids and ro-cuttlefish. A few of them are rumored to be large enough to challenge a mech of my size," Skyfire explained. "I'm expecting that we will have the proper funding in about three vorns, especially if we can generate enough interesting footage for a documentary vid."

"Something I would definitely watch. Can you fly underwater?" Prowl's entire frame was perked in interest.

"I can although my frame is not optimally designed for dealing with liquid drag whether it is from oil or water," Skyfire smiled at the enthusiasm even as he privately planned to discourage Prowl from trying to join the expedition. The loss of pay for the duration would be a good discrete point against including him. "My flight is closer to watching a large oilray than a fish or cyberwhale. Bobstay is a seaformer so he'll do most of the actual maneuvering in the tighter coral areas." 

"Heavy air support is still likely to be helpful. At least you can swim. It seems a rare skill," Prowl mused. "I doubt I swim any better than you but I do love it."

"I saw Laserbeak's footage of you swimming in the Rust Sea over in Harmonex," Skyfire laughed lightly at the memory recall. "You're a bit more maneuverable than me although neither of us will ever hope to compete with an aquatic beastformer or mecha. Most mecha seem to have a strong preference to avoid large bodies of liquids. Sometimes I think it is because most grounders think in two-dimensions rather than three-dimensions like a flier so the maneuverability bothers them. I know most fliers dislike the drag from the liquids more than anything else." 

"That actually makes sense. While for me the thicker the substance the easier flying is because I have to support less of my mass. Though there is a thickness where it is more like digging than flying. That is not very enjoyable," Prowl hummed and rolled over in the chair to lounge belly up and draped off it in every direction. "The only think I did not like about the Rust Sea was the temperature. It is a bit cool."

Skyfire thought for a bit. "Sections of the sea are supposed to be warmer, but it does tend to be cooler than the air surrounding it. Thinking more I wonder if another thing most fliers don't like is how the liquids affect their engines. You use air currents for flight so you're used to shifting with water currents while we don't tend to acknowledge currents unless they are stronger winds." 

"I am also accustomed to flying no faster than the winds unless in a dive. You force your way through the air. Do that in a thicker medium could hurt," Prowl agreed. "How much of your energon does the expedition usually cover? As expensive as it is becoming it could well make a difference."

"Normally the sponsors cover at least 80% of the energon, but we'll need to check how much we can actually afford if it is truly increasing that dramatically," Skyfire said with a frown. 

"The cost of standard fuel has gone up 23% since I began to keep track. I do not expect that pattern to change. I am sure it is the primary cause of sustained unrest," Prowl grumbled.

"That's a massive increase for just over a century," Skyfire's frown deepened. "Is it for specific types of fuel or everything overall?"

Prowl paused briefly to check. "The increase is lower for luxury imports like Magma though it is still above inflation by a significant margin. 23% is for what we normally drink."

"Of course the imports have less inflation; the nobles and Senators drink them," Skyfire's engine rumbled briefly in displeasure. "This is going to impact transportation costs for other goods as well. If this continues it's going to get harder to get funding for expeditions." 

"The basic cause has not been addressed and I do not see any effort to do so. Currently investments have kept all of us ahead of the increase though it will not last. If nothing is done within five centuries I expect we would have to adjust our purchases to compensate if not for the converter I bought," Prowl was serious but not so serious that he was upset by it yet. "It would be such a simple thing to fix I do not understand why more factories are not authorized."

"Probably because whoever is making shanix off the increase has bribed enough politicians to keep getting the profits," Skyfire sighed. "Perhaps I should start making adjustments now to save for later. I consume more than the members of Jazz's family." 

Prowl nodded. "A solar generator is worth the investment. The one you use on long expeditions should work here."

"It's technically mine but I think I'll keep it at the lab to run it. There's a clearer area on the roof patio I can use as a set-up point there and it shouldn't get disturbed," Skyfire stretched and leaned back. "I suppose I could look at discretely selling some of it to other scientists, but I think I'll use it myself and store it for later."

"We are the lucky ones. With a little planning we have the resources to have a generator and a place to put it. The poor do not," Prowl sighed. "I hope I can buy a ship before major riots begin. I really do not want to be this unique during unrest."

"That would be difficult," Skyfire agreed before checking his chronometer. "I'm going to need to settle into recharge soon since I'm meeting Perceptor early tomorrow. Do you want to rest with me tonight?" 

"I would like that," Prowl gracefully rolled from his upside down sprawl on the chair to his pedes and then transformed to stand on two pedes. He was nearly half Skyfire's height now and walked as easily on two pedes as four.

Skyfire put the empty cubes back in the kitchen and then the pair headed for his berth to snuggle together for the night. 


	3. An Adult Dragon on Cybertron

Skyfire had been up for a few breems, just long enough to fully boot, shower and check his messages before he heard Prowl rouse as he was pouring himself breakfast. The burst of a joyful EM field through the entire apartment preceded Prowl's appearance in his dragon mode. He was nearly dancing and his tail was glowing the brightest violet Skyfire had ever seen.

"Did you have a good recharge, Prowl?" he asked smiling while trying not to openly laugh over Prowl's excitement. The dragon reminded him of a large turbo-puppy being offered a treat. 

"Yes," Prowl seemed to be trying to glow. "I am an _adult_ now. Finally."

"That's wonderful news," Skyfire headed over and gave Prowl a hug. "You've finally reached adult size." 

Prowl nuzzled him. "It is so much more. Flight is easier now. Breath weapon does not hurt to use. Hunger is less driving. So much good." He was vibrating at the notices he was still going through.

"We should contact Soundwave and arrange a small celebration," Skyfire grinned and pressed a light kiss to Prowl's forehead pleased that so much was now going right for his friend. "Do you want to hold it here or over there?" 

"There. It is better suited to the majority of my friends and allies," Prowl grinned and filled his field with his thanks for the offer. "Jazz _enjoys_ throwing parties as well."

"I don't have to be at work for a few joors. Do you want to go on a flight together while you talk to him and get the arrangements started?" Skyfire stretched and glanced out at the open skies. It was a clear day and seemed to have good winds. 

"I would love that," Prowl danced in place in excitement before remembering that fuel came before flying and transformed to get a pre-flight cube from his store in the kitchen. "I need to re-learn how to fly some."

"Size and coding changes will do that to you," Skyfire agreed remembering back on his own past fondly as he grabbed his own cube and offered Prowl some gold flakes for his fuel as a treat. "I had to relearn a few maneuvers as my frame matured." 

"Both frame size and engine power changes?" Prowl only party guessed. He had a solid grip on Cybertronian basics but he rarely assumed he knew it exactly right. "I am most likely to misjudge how much of an updraft I need. My wings are proportionately a little stronger but the mass-compensation system finally turning on will be the big change." He paused to thing. "Imagine if your engines were suddenly four or five time stronger."

"That would definitely be something I would need to learn to compensate for," Skyfire agreed as he pondered that change. He checked the air traffic outside the apartment. "Do you want me to put out the trainee warning for other fliers?" 

Prowl paused in real surprise then nodded. "Yes. I forgot that is not normal here. On Hausnest everyone knows what 'new adult' on my ping means if they can't tell from a thousand lengths."

"Most fliers can recognize mechlings in the air, but your frame is unique so they don't know what to expect," Skyfire said as he contacted the beacon and set an activation to start in a few kliks and stay active until he sent the deactivation signal. It would be long enough for them to finish their fuel and still give the others out there time to watch for them. He was nearly as excited as Prowl when the dragon launched himself from the balcony with his usual strength and watched the large frame surge upwards almost four times higher than the orn before. The first strong downbeat of wings actually lifted Prowl up instead of barely maintaining his position.

A few fliers were out and about in the area but they gave the pair appropriate distance in deference to the warning. Skyfire still kept an optic on them since he wasn't certain how much this was going to change Prowl's abilities. He tried to maneuver so he could get between Prowl and other fliers if necessary. His mass would help protect him in the event of a crash. His worry quickly decreased when Prowl gained significant control with each wingbeat and maneuver.

On Prowl's side this was intensely pleasurable. Flight was always a joy but up until now it was also a lot of work. It was an effort for his entire frame and burred energy like nothing else. This was far more like swimming except it had the speed of flight and it was _awesome_. 

::You want to try some dives and see how it goes?:: Skyfire asked as they arched and headed up towards where the Seekers normally flew. The few Seekers flying along proved that they were also obviously keeping track of the pair by altering course to avoid them when they rose up. 

::Yes,:: Prowl's trill was all eager and showed his youth despite all he'd survived. He went two wing-beats higher and folded his left wing against his frame before his right to angle the dive.

It was a move Skyfire had watched him do several times and already it showed the difference the newly on-lined hardware created. The fall should have been much faster, but when Prowl began to unfold his wings the wind resistance was just as strong as before. Even so he swept upwards on wide open wings and the grace that said he hadn't hurt himself.

::Great job,:: Skyfire said encouragingly as he marveled at a maneuver he really couldn't pull off with his different style of flying. Once he'd leveled back out Skyfire watched Prowl pull off another dive this time folding his right wing down. ::You're adjusting to these changes very well.:: 

::Thank you. I believe it looks better than it is. This takes a _lot_ of thinking.:: Prowl trilled his thanks at the encouragement and tried to loop upside down only to fail at the peak and let himself relax into the fall until he had the momentum and angle to pull out smoothly.

::The fact you are able to even attempt such maneuvers is impressive especially given you have so recently gone through all those changes,:: Skyfire said as he took note of a Seeker carefully but deliberately approaching the pair. It was hovering back but definitely watching Prowl's flight as the dragon showed off in the process of testing his new limits.

::Experience is an excellent teacher. The worst that would happen is I fall you could would have to catch me,:: Prowl replied.

::I know fliers who are too proud to do this for the first time out in the open because they would be afraid of being embarrassed if they failed,:: Skyfire explained as he kept an optic on their observer. 

The sound that came back was utterly bewildered and Prowl was silent for several kliks as he continued to practice and get a better feel for his new parameters.

::Failure when learning is not embarrassing," Prowl said and asked how it could be in the harmonics. ::It is _learning_.::

::I agree with you,:: Skyfire replied. ::Failing while learning helps you understand how to do something correctly. Sometimes it is the student who is convinced that they can do no wrong, but occasionally an instructor discovers that fear of failing is actually because of pressure for perfection from relatives.:: 

::Poor socialization?:: Prowl suggested as he angled towards the condo's balcony. ::I think I am glad not to understand that processor set.::

::Poor socialization, unreasonably high expectations, there are different factors for different situations. Unless you get into a situation where you are an instructor or in a position of authority you shouldn't need to grasp it,:: Skyfire agreed. He didn't see Prowl becoming an instructor or creator here so it wasn't important now. He watched the Seeker peel away and head off to the east. 

"Or different societies," Prowl suggested as he landed on all fours and settled before transforming to stand on two. "Dragons may compete for fuel but socially the stronger any one of us is the stronger we are."

"You have a good carrier who has given you a good foundation," Skyfire said as he transformed and landed. "I hope all of your clans have the same views." 

"I would think they are similar though I admit I have not met them," Prowl said as he want for his energon. "Fun but tiring."

"Let's go in and plan your party," Skyfire said, not needing a drink himself yet but willingly following Prowl in towards the kitchen. 

* * *

"Great orn, Prowl!" SpacialFlux called out as he landed on the roof of the building and took in the festivities. Most of the guests were congregated enjoying the food and music under the open skies. His own appearance drew a few odd looks from the neighboring Aerials who sometimes flew with Prowl. In addition to Loopy's travel container on his back SpacialFlux now had a visible lump on his chest under a securely fastened a mesh wrap. He gave a wide smile as he took in the dragon's much larger frame and the stance that was significantly more sure of itself. "You look so incredible. I can see why Harmonex went crazy over you." 

"Thank you," Prowl rumbled with pleased and welcoming harmonics as he moved to greet the newest guest. "Is this the new one you mentioned getting?" He very lightly nuzzled the mesh wrap while his slender glossa flickered in overtime.

"Yes, this is Gilded Streak," SpacialFlux said as he patted the small bundle affectionately before setting up Loopy's kit on the table prepared for it. "Sorry, I want to make certain that Loopy doesn't get jealous so I have to get him set up first. He's been a good boy and hasn't attacked her but I don't want to push him too far." One the flying spine-frilled oil lizard was set up and perched watching the proceedings SpacialFlux carefully unwrapped the his bundle. Inside the clear shell was a delicate mecha-dragonet about the size of SpacialFlux's palm. The big surprise consisting of a series of five long panels on the final joint of the spindly wing.

"So small," Prowl trilled and cooed at her as his slender glossa danced in front of her. Unlike Loopy this little creature triggered hints of creator coding in him. It was just enough he knew he'd protect her for more than just being a guest in his space.

"She's a new hatchling less than a vorn old," SpacialFlux said as he gently stroked the developing spiky crest on her head while she made a soft trilling sound. "The nest was found abandoned in a rocky crevasse outside of Iacon. We don't know if the creators were frightened away or killed by a predator." 

"Either way she is lucky to have been found. You are a good caretaker," Prowl's field flared in amusement as a tiny clawed hand tried to catch his slender glossa.

"There were seven eggs found in the nest although only three proved viable. I almost bought a second for you as a present since you're old enough to care for one properly, but Jazz reminded me that you're not currently in a good position to have a pet," SpacialFlux said quietly and handed Prowl a wrapped up present. "Vosians occasionally keep electrum dragonets as pets so they have the best information on them. I ordered two copies of a treatise on her species from Vos, and I hope you can help me figure out the best way to care for her." 

"Yes. I will help," Prowl willingly agreed before accepting the datapad sized box with a flush of excited thanks in his field for SpacialFlux. "Thank you," he added before walking over to a table laden with gift boxes to add it. It gave several fliers including Skyfire a chance to check out the tiny creature.

"She is so delicate," Skyfire murmured in amazement.

"I have to admit I spent the first few decaorns convinced I was going to accidentally damage her she was so tiny," SpacialFlux admitted before looking at Skyfire's large hand. "I know you have experience with different mechanimals. Would you like to hold her for a moment? I need to give Loopy a snack. He's actually been a help because he tolerates recharging with her like her siblings would have done." 

"Of course," Skyfire's tone was thrilled as he expended his hand with a light cup in it to accept the tiny creature.

SpacialFlux placed Gilded Streak down with a gentle trill. Once she was settled he pulled out a small container from his subspace and offered a few flicker gel spiders to the oil lizard. "Here you go you wonderful little impatient darling."

"He has gotten bigger," Prowl observed as he rejoined the group.

"Oil lizards grow as long as they're online although they slow down a lot as they get older," SpacialFlux replied. 

"As do dragons," Prowl hummed. "It is a sign of good care and plenty of fuel for us."

"From what I've read oil lizards grow better if they have good fuel and lots of solar light to help them regulate their temperature. They grow very quickly as hatchlings but even then it is affected by how they feed," SpacialFlux explained as he trilled at Loopy while keeping a close optic on Gilded Streak in Skyfire's hand. The little silvery creature seemed happy enough surrounded by warm plating and field.

"Then good care shows," Prowl flickered his slender glossa towards Loopy in a playful way. "How long before Gilded Streak can fly?"

"She's been testing her wings so I think it will be in a few decaorns. From what I've read most mecha-dragonets start practicing around this time. In the wild they have to be ready to evade predators and follow their carriers to new nests well before they are on their own to hunt," SpacialFlux chuckled as Loopy nipped at the glossa and scolded Prowl vigorously. Prowl's amused teek at it only made the humor better.

"I would like to watch her early attempts if schedules permit," Prowl said as he noticed Azure and Femina coming up the stairway to join the party.

"We'd love to have you around to help her learn," SpacialFlux called out agreeably as he headed over to retrieve his little beauty while Prowl went to greet the dancer that often worked with Jazz

"Greetings, Prowl," Azure said as she gave the dragon a light bow. "You look very regal today." 

"You have really grown," Femina added with an appreciative rumble and wiggle of her wings.

"Thank you," he trilled at them. "It feels wonderful to finally be an adult."

"It's hard to believe you're going to get even bigger than this," Azure said as she looked Prowl up and down admiring his frame and the careful work that had gone into making Prowl look regal for tonight. It wasn't lost on either that he was posing a bit for them.

"It will not be quick," Prowl said. "The next doubling of my size is likely to take twenty six hundred vorns."

"So long," Azure said as she shook her head in disbelief. "At least you'll have time to adjust and find a place you'll fit properly." 

"Definitely," his field warmed and he nuzzled her. "Now that I am past rapid growth it should be easy to make modifications or find a new place at a relaxed pace. What I really love about it is not feeling hungry all the time. I still like plenty of fuel but it is so much less distracting. I need less recharge as well."

"Why less recharge?" Femina asked and rubbed his cheek as he nuzzled her.

"Most growth happens in recharge. When I grow quickly what I need is increased so there is enough time for my frame to make adjustments," Prowl explained willingly.

"That makes sense. It would be easier to grow when you're not moving around all the time," Azure said thoughtfully as she ran her fingers along his neck. 

"Will you be flying tonight?" Femina asked.

"I plan to," Prowl grinned at her. "I can fly so much better with all my adult systems in place."

"I look forward to flying with you and seeing the difference," Femina smiled and give Prowl a light kiss on the cheek and removing a small package from her subspace. "We brought you some pods so you can grow green glass pod plants. The seeds in the pods are used in certain Kalisian recipes Azure found and we included in your gift." 

"Thank you," Prowl trilled eagerly at the new things to learn and taste. They were soon added to the table of gifts and then Prowl was off to greet Panna Dil.

"How is one of my favorite models?" Panna Dil said as she approached Prowl and gave him a light hug and a cheek-to-cheek press in greeting. "You look wonderful tonight. I think I need to talk to Soundwave about hiring you as a model again. Your size isn't the only change. You're sleeker and your wings and limbs are longer compared to the rest of you than before. It really makes you look more majestic."

~She's laying it on thick,~ Jazz chuckled to his family.

~He's loving it,~ Ravage grinned along the family bond. ~It's adorable the way he gets when somebody's fawning over him.~

"Doing very well, Panna Dil. It feels amazing to be in my adult frame at last. I am quite willing to model again."

"That's wonderful to hear," Panna Dil almost purred as she walked around Prowl's frame looking at all the changes with his willing help. "I'm thinking a series of sculptures with you in sentry pose, ready to launch into flight, lounging and maybe even a few flight poses if I can make them look animated yet stable."

~She's got a built in market in Harmonex given how crazy they are over him,~ Laserbeak said. ~You want to suggest she mass market there?~

~It might be able to be tied to Brightouch's temple. It'd go well with the artwork Prowl modeled for there,~ Jazz said thoughtfully. ~If Prowl is interested it would definitely be something for Soundwave to bring up during negotiations for Prowl's contract.~ 

~Soundwave: will take it into consideration.~ he promised and reveled in how happy and not-starving Prowl was. He knew it was a thin veneer over the dragon's pain at not being home for one of the most important events in a dragon's existence; their presentation to the population as a full member of society. Prowl had known enough that this was a reasonable facsimile of one. Housewarming gifts, things every young adult needed on leaving their creator's home. Gifts that were tailored towards Prowl's specific needs and tastes were more prevalent here as he wasn't moving out. Family and friends were gathered though the political and general population wasn't. They weren't that important and though he didn't say anything Prowl still was very uneasy about Cybertronians of power.

All evening there had bursts of loss from Prowl quickly covered up by good feelings by what he had. It was honestly better than Soundwave had expected when they had decided to throw this adulthood party for Prowl.

Ravage and Laserbeak had purchased Prowl meshes and pillows for the new, larger berth Jazz and Soundwave were supplying as a present. The berth should be large enough to comfortably hold Prowl and Ravage until Prowl outgrew the condo in a few centuries. Others had brought gifts of fine vessels suited to his style of fueling, a ten-vorn membership a local spa he liked, even a visit to an engraver for decorative armor work. Knowledge was the top gift though. From access to restricted libraries and time in the Archives to bookfiles and classes. While Prowl was always gracious about it he was also genuinely happy with each item. It showed in his field and for Soundwave they were particularly bright moments among the dark ones in an overall happy evening.

"Who would like to fly with me?" Prowl eventually called out.

"Always," Skyfire replied immediately. Laserbeak flew over and hovered near the shuttle ready to join the flight.

"Let me grab Loopy. Jazz, will watch Gilded Streak for me?" SpacialFlux dithered as he let Loopy coil up near his shoulder before joining the rest of the Aerials ready to launch and join the dragon in the sky. 

"Of course," Jazz smiled and accepted the tiny bundle.

In the first show of what 'adult' meant in a dragon Prowl didn't jump off the side of the building but rather he coiled his hind quarters under him and lunged upwards with a powerful downbeat that took him several lengths up. It was by no means jet-powered flight but it was noticeably easier for him to move about.

~Impressive as always,~ Jazz said, turning Gilded Streak so she could also watch Prowl take to the sky. ~Especially since we have an idea how much sheer power that actually takes to accomplish.~

Normally Laserbeak flew slightly above and behind Prowl's head, but this time she stayed by Skyfire so there were no misunderstandings by viewers about her current place in his life. Prowl was a free adult and responsible for himself; he did not need her to guide him or protect him socially from others in the air. The others, every one counted as a friend or ally, gave him the space his unusual method of flight demanded and marveled at how much faster and more maneuverable he was than the last time most had seen him.

The Aerials launched up into the sky next. Loopy darted away from SpacialFlux's neck while he transformed and flew around into the Aerial's open cockpit since there was no way the small oil lizard would be able to keep up with the rest of the mismatched temporary flock as it followed Prowl's spiral upwards as it widened with each loop.

"He really looks amazing. I'd have never thought an adult could fly so much easier than a mechling," Ravage said as the ground-bound viewers watched. "Remember that first flight? How heavy it looked."

"He's gained the proper cabling and struts to support his wings better, and the way his frame has altered while he grew has affected his balance and mass ratio," Jazz pointed out while Gilded Streak chittered at the strange shapes in the sky. "That first flight was with the awkwardness of youth and disuse and lacked the anti-grav system he finally got activated. This is something I'm glad we get to see." 

"Affirmative," Soundwave said as he placed a hand affectionately on Jazz's shoulder. 

* * *

A breem before full dark blanketed the northern edge of Iacon Prowl was in the air with Skyfire, Laserbeak, SpacialFlux and his lizards for the annual flying tour of the First Light festival lighted decorations. It was a social highlight for Prowl. He didn't even pretend to understand the holiday's importance or origin but he was happy to enjoy the perks of it. Right now that was an excuse to gather with his flying friends to look down on the incredible light display Iacon made of itself for the festival season that stretched two decaorns around the winter solstice and included the new vorn celebrations the night after the solstice. In a few orns there would be the actual solstice centered on family time, amazing treats, gifts and games.

::Thank you for allowing Gilded Streak, Loopy and I to join you tonight,:: SpacialFlux said as he smiled fondly at the electrum dragonet and oil lizard tethered and bundled up together on his chest plate. ::First Light is much more fun to celebrate with friends, and there is so much out here for them to see.:: 

::Iacon does decorate itself amazingly this time of vorn,:: Prowl agreed . ::I'm always glad to have friends around.::

::Friends are the flock you choose,:: Skyfire added warmly as they began the slow winding north to south trail of the best decorated areas. He'd come to love sight-seeing with Prowl because he saw so much more. The dragon just didn't fly very fast so there was so much more time to look at any given thing without stopping.

::Do you see that apartment over there? They must have a thousand little lights around the balcony door,:: Laserbeak asked. She'd had many vorns flying with Prowl to get used to talking to mecha outside the family but it still felt like a bit of novelty. At least Skyfire and SpacialFlux had never made an issue of it and it was nice to have a few others who regarded her as a full mecha with good intelligence. 

::They turned it into a lit marquise,:: Skyfire said after studying the shape for a moment. ::Perhaps it is a light to guide the deactivated to visit. I know it's a custom in Crystal City.::

::Why would they want that? Sparks with unfinished business are dangerous.:: Prowl asked, not for the first time.

::Crystal City believes that the wayward sparks that visit during First Light are here to be guided to the Well. The lit marquise acts as a beacon to those seeing solace and a ward against those with ill-intent. Each time a mecha consumes a spark lantern a lost spark is guided back to Primus,:: Skyfire elaborated. ::It is considered a sacred act to guide those who have become lost since it prevents the corruption of the deactivated.:: 

::It must be easy to get lost,:: Prowl said quietly as the marquise disappeared from view and the visual focus shifted to A Matrix design surrounded by the glyphs of each Prime with Sentinel in the center that took up the entire side of a tower.

::Ostentatious. That should really be displayed during the Orn to Honor the Primor,:: Skyfire observed as he stared at the display. ::Although it's probably because of New Vorn Celebration. I forget sometimes that Iacon's First Light almost lines up with the start of the new vorn.:: 

::You're from off world originally?:: SpacialFlux asked.

::Helex. It's in the southern hemisphere so the new vorn lines up with our Solar Festival. I also spend a lot of time off world where it might not line up with anything.:: Skyfire explained easily.

::That would be very confusing,:: SpacialFlux admitted as he patted Loopy's head. The oil lizard was being amazingly calm although he did keep hissing at those flying around them. ::Yes, darling, the big, bad Aerial now knows to stay away from someone as mighty as you.::

::You get used to it,:: Skyfire said. ::There are so many differences between places even here on Cybertron.::

::That's gorgeous,:: Laserbeak said as a large dome of multi-colored crystals and lights came into view on a nearby rooftop. ::I don't want to think about how much it costs to set up and maintain.:: 

::Neither do I although I am glad someone did. It is beautiful.:: Prowl trilled and angled to fly a loop around it. ::This took considerable planning.::

::It's an impressive display especially when you consider that they adjusted the lights and crystals to maximum effect,:: Skyfire agreed.

::No, you can't go settle in it, you silly thing,:: SpacialFlux told Gilded Streak as she chittered at the display. ::It's not a nest. I think it's a giant star cake.:: 

Prowl cocked his helm and shifted his position a couple times. ::I can see that.:: He decided eventually before they all moved on to the next bright place in the bright layers of the city. ::The market district is always amazing.::

They glided around for a while enjoying the lights and colors on the buildings and streets and little parks. The brightness of the lights and designs made it obvious where the wealthier shops were, but even the poorest places still managed to put out small displays. It was glorious in a very different way than the high-level government complexes such as the Senate and Primal Palace and the noble estates were. The shops were focused on drawing customers in. The others were to display power, wealth and status.

Prowl loved it all. In a strange way this utterly and completely alien celebration let him forget he was far from home as he was enchanted by the visual and the _new_. He absorbed it all whether or not he understood it and would no doubt bring some aspects of Cybertronian society to Hausnest when he returned.

The bright spot some way head was spread out. Each of the five spires in the complex glowed from within and without. The gardens were similarly lit with the trails glowing brightly to show off the crystals, plants and statues there. Eight paths of light swept out in the cardinal and primary intercardinal directions well into the city around it to draw all optics towards the beacon of Iacon's spiritual core.

::As stunning as always,:: Laserbeak said admiringly. No matter how long Soundwave spent away from the temple it always brought up a bit of nostalgia as she looked at their old home. 

::It is. They really do focus on aesthetics.:: Prowl trilled his appreciation for it.

::And symbolism.:: SpacialFlux added.

::There is so much you can learn by examining the designs they use and researching them,:: Skyfire agreed. ::One of the intriguing parts of this season is studying what is new and trendy, but I always loved the consistency of the temples' designs.:: 

::They do not need to be trendy. Their status comes from being stable, reliable, the same,:: Prowl said as they began a wide sweep around the temple to take in the glory from every angle. ::They also have no need to celebrate the new vorn.::

::The priests give honor to Primus and the population with their displays,:: Skyfire agreed as they continued to circle while avoiding other groups out enjoying the sight. It was always a busy space thought not nearby as busy as the grounders faced. Laserbeak was the most reluctant to turn away from the temple and Prowl flew deliberately to give her an extra couple kliks to share it with Soundwave when they turned towards Jazz's condo and the larger party to celebrate the new vorn at midnight. After that dispersed there would be a couple joors of calm before the First Light celebrations began.

* * *

"Have a prosperous new year," Prowl said as SpacialFlux finished securing his pets and prepared to depart from the family balcony which had been decorated with sparkling blue lights and white crystals this year.

"Gilded Streak is so worn out," he said affectionately. "Loopy handled the celebration much better but he's older than her so he's used to the noise and excitement."

"I remember my first big event. No matter how well it went and how much I got to eat it left me feeling completely drained. She will feel better soon," Prowl trilled at the young electrum dragonet. She was curled in a tight ball with her wings folded down against her back. Loopy was curled in his own oil filled pod keeping an optic on Prowl, but it kept dimming as the oil lizard struggled to stay online.

"Relax, precious darlings, we'll be home soon," SpacialFlux finished enclosing the pair and lifted off. He paused once to wave at the resident family before transforming to fly home quickly.

That just left the residents and Skyfire. The family did a last bit of collecting things for the First Light celebration and chatted while the staff for the party cleaned up and left.

"Ready to go?" Jazz asked with a look around. Most of the things they needed had been moved to Skyfire's place in the preceding orns so he got nodded and agreement from all around. 

Skyfire leapt up and transformed, then entered a careful hover with his back ramp open against the balcony. "All aboard."

Everyone entered and settled into the seats with Laserbeak perching on Soundwave's shoulder. Even Prowl took a seat since the trip would go so much faster if he didn't fly. He felt secure in the shuttle even though he wasn't controlling his own flight. He simply trusted Skyfire enough it was no different for him than riding on an older dragon's back. It was barely a breem before they descended onto Skyfire's larger balcony before the shuttle transformed and landed.

Despite having the codes Prowl hung back so Skyfire opened the balcony door and turned on only the decorative lights. It was enough to see unaided but not bright enough to hamper noticing the pre-dawn still some joor away.

As with every vorn since they'd begun this tradition Prowl had spent a fair amount of the prior orn setting up nests and furniture so that it suited the significant size ranges that would be there. Most important of those were the various chairs around the table where they'd play games and have snacks until it was almost dawn and time to bring out the cake. He made certain the tray of spark lanterns was available for all of them even as Jazz finished organizing the meshes and pillows on the chairs.

"Do we want to play Chakrit, Long Glyphs or Warlords?" Ravage asked. 

"Chakrit?" Prowl suggested as he looked around for displeasure.

"Sounds good," Laserbeak agreed as she settled on the perch they kept her for her. "Who's first?"

"Skyfire: host," Soundwave replied with a nod towards Skyfire who was placing the correct cubes next to each member of the family. "Host: start the game."

"I bought some solar high-grade for the actual celebration. Right now we have some pressed crystal energon to help us stay online until dawn," Skyfire explained as he settled at the table and picked up the larger dice reserved for him and Prowl as well as the standard set for most and a cup for Laserbeak to throw them with. Jazz unrolled a stiff barrier around the table to provide the backstop for rolling when he was tossed it.

"So, do you have any exciting plans for the new vorn?" Skyfire asked as he threw the dice.

"I'm just about finished with the other song," Jazz said although everyone already knew he'd been struggling with part of it. "I've almost got the counter melody done. I'll be glad when this holiday album is done, and I can go back to my normal melodies." 

"It will be a good album," Prowl trilled at him as the bets made with chips that had value only in declaring the winner were set and the dice rolled again. He knew it was a concession to his unwillingness to gamble on games of chance and he appreciated it. "I am looking forward to next quarter's classes. Especially the datanet structures."

"You were a great help in the lab last decaorn," Skyfire said. "I'll take any time you can put in to help out as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies."

"That sounds far beyond me, Prowl, but I'm glad you enjoy it," Laserbeak said. "SpacialFlux has asked me to help Gilded Streak learn how to fly since I'm the flier closest to her size that he knows. We're going to work on strengthening her wings." 

"I will make the time I can for you," Prowl promised with a wing-wiggle that was all enjoyment of their time together. "I always learn so much with you in the lab."

"Soundwave: intends to investigate shielding upgrades. Iacon: becoming uncomfortable." the telepath admitted.

Prowl's full focus went to him as he completely forgot the game. "It is that bad already?"

"Affirmative."

"Prowl?" Skyfire prompted but he looked at everyone.

The host nodded to Prowl.

"Soundwave cannot completely turn off his telepathy so the condo has shielding in places so he can relax and not focus so much on keeping the emotions around him out. The stronger the emotions the more difficult they are to shield. It is not a problem when the city is more positive than negative. As he learned from me hunger is a most painful echo in the fields he feels. The city is growing hungry and cold. Others cities are far worse off. Iacon is still hurting." Prowl tried to explain. "What I see in numbers and Jazz picks up socially Soundwave feels in the city's psychic echo."

"I noticed when I went shopping that everything but processed mined mid grade energon is becoming very expensive," Skyfire said quietly. "I also didn't see the variety I was used to although I think some of it was lack of stock for the holidays." 

"I am grateful that we are all situated to pay the prices," Prowl looked around. "Has anyone else prepared plans for when the riots begin?"

"I'm keeping an optic on the area around us," Ravage replied. "No one pays attention to a cyber-cat even as large as me stalking around the city, and I'm listening for trouble everywhere I go."

"I have the converter set up but I'm thinking of moving it somewhere less noticeable," Skyfire said. "I have started considering stocking up on fuel to get away from here if necessary. I hope it doesn't come to that." 

Prowl nodded. "It should not, not without significant notice. A riot can be spontaneous. Where we live has the resources to defend itself against a single event if this does not."

"Definitely," Jazz backed him up. "I don't know about it if this really goes to the pits but if it gets that bad we should already be off world. I can certainly still create music anywhere. There's been energon and income riots before and things settled down. It should again."

Prowl gave him a nod that hid little of how bad his predictions looked. "Who's turn is it?"

"Mine," Jazz said as he gave the dice a shake and tossed them. "So, any ideas for a new theme for an album?"

"How about star fields?" Ravage suggested. "You could have songs about visiting other systems, visitors from other systems, someone looking at the stars...." 

"Hope. Comfort. Attaining a dream. Surviving hardship." Prowl offered. "Give people something in short supply and a way to think about the future that is not dark."

"I could combine the ideas a bit, kinda hide the intentions so I don't get labeled a radical and lose my contracts," Jazz said thoughtfully as he passed the dice off to Ravage. "Maybe a song wishing on a star and getting the wish, another about coming to the end of a journey and making it home. A hard journey with a reward at the end. That's something to think about." 

"That could be good. There are many journeys with a good ending around this table," Prowl nodded. "Perhaps one about scientific discovery? Those are a journey with a reward at the end. For hiding the message."

"I could probably do that. I'll need to talk to the two of you a bit to get it right. The critics make scrap metal out of anyone getting the source material wrong on things like that," Jazz agreed. "What do you think about a song about a fledgling learning to fly? That would have failure at the start but eventually have the success of reaching the sky. It'd be a hint to keep trying because you could eventually reach your goal." 

"Yes. Flying is hard at first but very much worth the dents and effort," Prowl agreed eagerly. "You have knowledge of four different types of flying at this table. That is a lot to draw on."

"Query: four." Soundwave asked.

"Wing powered like mine. The jet and wings of Laserbeak and Skyfire. The biped jet flight of Skyfire. Laserbeak will be helping teach Gilded Streak to fly," Prowl rattled off. 

"So I can have fun and figure out the best way to do it. Maybe a first verse about trying to glide and having the subject learn to fly like you do?" Jazz trailed off in thought.

"The subject could be trying to reach the creators that are just out of range encouraging the flight. Avianoids sometimes do that to encourage fledglings to fly," Laserbeak offered. 

"With or without offering fuel there," Skyfire added to Prowl's groan of early memories.

"Yes, anything it takes to make leaping into the unknown more appealing than staying," Prowl agreed. "The stubborn ones eventually get kicked."

"I could do another song with a verse on each possibility. The first verse as the curious one who jumps out willingly. The second verse reluctant but wanting a treat. The third kicked out to find its way," Jazz mumbled and started making mental notes. "It'd different from the others and help hide the intentions of the album." 

"I have plenty of stories from my siblings and ones I was told as well if you want them for ideas," Prowl offered with a small happy wiggle of his wings. "We are a diverse lot in many ways. That first try is rarely the only time it is an effort to get hatchlings to try. Especially when the first effort hurt."

"The song themes would fit with my dragon and flight albums," Jazz tapped his chin as he accepted the dice from Soundwave. "I bet if Prowl would go along with being in a vid or two we could get the album published." 

"I will," Prowl agreed to it. "Especially now that I can fly so much better. I am large enough to fly in with you riding now if it is a short drop."

"That would send the choreographer into a tizzy, but it would definitely get me a multi-contract deal. Those albums sold very well, especially in Vos and Helex considering I'm a grounder," Jazz laughed.

Prowl grinned at him. "Perhaps SpacialFlux would consider allowing Gilded Streak to be in one. She would look lovely with glitter dust. Full grown she can fly about that long."

"We could have part of the vid for the fledgling song with you coaxing her out to fly," Jazz really started pondering that idea. "SpacialFlux gets a little weird about what he thinks is exploiting his pets, but this sounds like something he would enjoy. Especially since it would undoubtedly have mecha cooing over his new pride and joy."

"My only concern is that mecha will decide they need an electrum dragonet as a pet and depopulate the species," Skyfire said after carefully thinking about it.

"Vosians occasionally keeps them as pets, but they aren't the easiest species to locate," Laserbeak said, having spent a lot of time with SpacialFlux talking about Gilded Streak.

"Unfortunately putting anything unusual in the public view can lead to problems," Ravage said gruffly. 

"I had not thought of that," Prowl admitted.

"We can discuss it with him. It is SpacialFlux's choice. Sometimes raising awareness of a creature's existence is an overall advantage," Jazz decided. "It could be adorable but it'll be great without her too."

"Affirmative," Soundwave said with a roll of the dice.

"Jazz has the best field when he is inspired," Prowl trilled happily.

"You've been doing a lot of that since you joined us," Jazz said affectionately. "I didn't even think about things like playing underwater until it came in conversation with you." 

"I am the scientist," Prowl chuckled before the conversation drifted to other things until the first hint of pre-dawn lightened the sky and the game was put away.

"Prowl: will lead prayers." Soundwave stated what everyone already knew.

Prowl nodded as they went to the balcony and faced the coming sun.

"The longest night has been survived. Our family is intact, warm and with stores for the remainder of the cold times. Once more Primus has asked no more of us than we can give," Prowl began with the traditional glyphs before speaking his own. "I am grateful to have found a home while I gather the resources to return to where I belong. I am grateful to fuel well enough to be an adult. I am grateful to have friends to share my orns with."

As host, Skyfire went next naming off his own thanks to Primus. "I am grateful for the friendships I have developed. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my knowledge of life in the universe. I am grateful to have the resources to support myself and those in need." 

"Soundwave: grateful for happy symbiots. Soundwave: grateful for Jazz. Soundwave: grateful to still hear Primus. Soundwave: grateful that Prowl has joined our family."

Laserbeak shifted for a moment before starting, "I am grateful to still have my host and unusual counterpart. I am grateful for the skies which I can fly through with my friends. I am grateful for the home which our family has created and nurtured." 

Ravage also gave a moment of silence to organize his thoughts.

"I am grateful for a host that cares for me. I am grateful for a family that is strong and secure." He gave a glance towards Prowl. "I am grateful that the longest romance I have had is still warm."

Prowl smiled fondly at his lover as Jazz finished the recitation. "I am grateful to still have a flourishing career by which I can support my family while inspiring others. I am grateful to have my conjunx endura and the family I gained by meeting him. I am grateful for the inspirations I have been given." 

The stood there until they could see the sun halfway past the horizon and felt its warmth before returning to the table. Skyfire went into the kitchen to bring the first light cake out. Brightly colored with whorls and flares it was a beautiful representation of the sun they circled in every spectrum. Jazz had made up for the small size in artistic quality as a matter of public respect to the holiday. He couldn't be seen as ignoring its importance even if they were only six eating it. Though Skyfire and Prowl did give him a reason to get a much bigger cake than two centuries before.

"Every vorn I say it is the most incredible looking piece of fuel I have ever seen and every vorn your artist surpasses the last," Prowl said in awed amazement.

"It is a beautiful rendition of this star," Skyfire agreed as he studied all the swirls and whorls and compared it to his memory of the trips outside of Cybertron's system. "It also reminds me of some other stars I've seen during my explorations."

"Do most G1 stars look like that?" Prowl asked.

"Many of them do look like ours, although the ones that are in binary systems can look very different," Skyfire replied, smiling as he examined a particularly shimmery whirl.

"They did a great job visually, but we don't know yet if it tastes good," Ravage said, impatient to try this vorn's cake and see if it was a good as last vorn. 

Prowl snickered. "First time you are more interested in fuel than I am."

Jazz chuckled as well and Skyfire compliantly set the cake down. The shuttle carefully cut it into seven equal portions, one for each of them and one for the poor to honor Soundwave's oaths. This was one of the few fuels that wasn't divided on frame needs. This was pure symbolism and the smallest had the same rights to light as the largest.

The pieces were moved to plates in a circle around the last piece left in the center. Everyone gathered around the cake and picked up their pieces simultaneously.

"With this we say goodbye to the longest night and embrace the coming new light," Prowl said as he lifted his optics towards the risen sun and they all ate the rich, heavily spiced and high-grade soaked caked in the first light of the first orn of the vorn. 

Once they were finished and the sun had risen, Soundwave reverently packed the remaining piece up in a small container before offering it to his symbiot. "Laserbeak: delivery."

"On it," Laserbeak picked up the package and headed off for a discrete drop-off at their favorite charity. She had no intention of making a scene like so many of the nobles preferred to do this orn. 

* * *

"So anything exciting going on in the world for us to worry about for the tour?" Jazz asked as he sat down on the couch next to Prowl who was coiled on the floor with Ravage. They'd emptied more of the area to keep Prowl from getting crowded but he noted they'd probably need to move the table over a bit in a few vorns since Prowl's tailtip was getting closer to it when he was agitated. Agitation was something that was happening more and more often as the dragon watched the news.

"Nothing that should concern us is happening in Ibex although Stanix is have a shortage of some materials so there have been temporary closings of some of the shipyards," Prowl replied as Ravage switched over to a different news channel. He had a personal interest in monitoring the shipbuilding center and seeing how production was going. "I am concerned about Tarn so we were going to check in on it next." 

The newcaster that appeared was a typical frame from the area but the dark paint with glowing red lines and dark red optics was almost as startling for Jazz as the mech's heavy build.

"It's a city of many heavy mecha. He is attractive to their standard," Prowl reminded him absently as they watched the end of the financial report.

"And now in social events. The Tracers are facing off against The Walls in cube this decaorn with the winner going on to the city semi-finals. Megatron of Kaon has a rally in the harbor district. Expect heavy defender presence and restricted travel from crowds."

"Defender presence at a rally?" Jazz asked as Soundwave and Laserbeak entered the room to join them.

"Megatron is one of the mecha pushing for reforms to support the lowest caste workers," Ravage explained. "They are pushing for subsidized energon rations and housing for workers as well as better pay." 

"A living wage for an orn's work," Prowl added. "Only sick processors would not pay enough for workers to survive. I would like Megatron if he was not so violent. Comes across like Nova."

"At the beginning or after he went crazy?" Laserbeak asked flicking her wings nervously. It was not an optimistic comparison in her processor.

"Megatron: charismatic," Soundwave said as settled next to Jazz to watch the newscast. He had heard about Megatron and his followers from his friends in the priesthood. Much of it was positive given the mech's focus on helping those who were destitute. 

"In the middle. When his talk focused on expansion. Megatron is a fighter. He will not get what he wants with words so he will fight." Prowl said with far too much conviction. "Dragons like him are not allowed to roam far," he added even though he was sure the wording was not quite right. "They are destroyers."

"You're certain he won't get what he wants?" Jazz asked, curious what the family knew about this mech and a subject he was almost completely unfamiliar with.

"Kaon: near starving," Soundwave said grimly, sharing information that he'd learned from his friends. "Shortages: common."

"Iacon is mostly okay so far, but it's getting rough for those who have no savings," Ravage said quietly. "I've heard grumblings about lack of variety and quality during my wanderings around the districts." 

"History," Prowl said pointedly. "Cybertronians do not have a culture of support and sharing to keep everyone strong. You are an exception. Uncommon here." He looked at Jazz seriously. "Do you honestly believe the wealthy will give up their privilege so the weak do better?"

"Some of them, yes, others..." Jazz trailed off before admitting the unpleasant truth. "No, most of them won't unless it does something for them. Valuable servants will be supported, and things like First Light will still be celebrated because of the status it brings. Once that concept disappears though I don't see many of them doing out of the goodness of their spark. Some places like Nyon and more traditional estates like Csillagos Szentély will keep the support longer." "That's supporting your kin or immediate neighbors though. That's different from supporting mecha you've never met and can't help you out later," Ravage pointed out. 

"Is it time to discuss moving?" Prowl asked quietly with his focus on Soundwave.

"Likelihood: under consideration," Soundwave said after some thought. "Location: undetermined. Possibility Harmonex: expensive but reveres Prowl."

"There is less unrest there with all the population restrictions," Laserbeak agreed thoughtfully. "There's a chance we might get resented for being outsiders coming in to take the local supply." 

"Why would we want to leave Iacon?" Jazz asked staring at the pair.

"Because the seat of all power on Cybertron is here," It was moments like this that made Ravage realize how sheltered the musician actually was.

"Any revolt: focus must be _here_." Soundwave added. "Government: only entity capable of changing the balance of power."

"The two fastest ways to kill are the helm and the spark. They are both within view from here," Prowl pointedly looked towards the Palace of the Prime and senate complex. "When this turns violent it will focus here because it must to get anything done. The primary questions are when it will happen and how big it will be. This could be no worse than other riots. Times to hunker down and stay off the street. It could be another true revolution. These conditions have created them in the past. A population hungry enough will feel they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Right now they have a leader worthy of the title."

Prowl shifted his focus to Soundwave. "I meant to move off world. Jazz has the fame now to do so."

"Concern: Runtime," Soundwave said with a frown as Prowl looked at him curiously.

"He hates offworld artists," Jazz explained to Prowl thinking about his publisher. "I'm not certain how he'll react to me moving to a colony." 

"Then a goal should be to not need him anymore," Prowl stated more than suggested. "I do not like us being in danger."

"Agreed but it will take some time to move to another producer without causing problems for my career," Jazz said, agreeing but having a good understanding of the issues this could present that Prowl didn't. "I want us to be safe now, but I want us to have the shanix to survive after all this is over."

"Affirmative," Prowl agreed completely with a bit of relief.

"Soundwave and Prowl could start doing research into the colonies and see which ones will accept symbiots and a dragon as residents," Laserbeak suggested. "One that is still stabilizing may not appreciate an influx of unusual frame types. Some mecha don't like symbiots and hosts." 

"Though one that is still stabilizing will have inexpensive land," Prowl pointed out. "Control enough land and bring enough shanix changes many opinions."

"It does but it also brings the issue of getting recordings out to the public," Jazz said trying not to shiver at the idea of living out somewhere in the wilderness since he was so used to city life. "It would give me a recluse reputation which could give me a mysterious aura or make mecha think I'm retiring."

"We need to do some research to figure out how dangerous we think the situation is actually going to get. If moving to Harmonex or Gygax for a bit can get us out of the way of trouble, I'm all for it," Ravage said. 

"That would be the least stressful," Prowl willingly admitted. "Cybertron and unrest ... I see the worst coming."

As the newscaster continued droning on about some local politicians and a small fire at a refinery, Soundwave said, "Soundwave: investigate Megatron and followers. Prowl: investigate colonies. Jazz: prepare for divestment from Runtime. Laserbeak: monitor skies. Ravage: monitor alleys. Analysis: continue." 

"Affirmative," Prowl said to the various nods around the family.

* * *

Soundwave nodded respectfully to a passing trio of priest as he headed into the Temple kitchens. Parity had accepted his offer to assist with preparing fuel for the needy, an offer he extended every few decaorns. Unofficially it allowed him to speak with her without attracting too much attention from the higher-ups so he could hear what was actually going on in lower Iacon. He noticed that another oven had been removed leaving a gap in the counters.

"About time you got here," Parity said as he entered the kitchen.

"Soundwave: on time," he replied.

"At least I can count on you to come when you say," the large Kaonite femme said as she lifted a large vat and placed it next to a dispenser. "We have a donation of solar energon we'll have to mix in with the mined energon the temple purchased. Pity to do it, but everyone gets the same thing no matter what some think." 

"Majority: do not understand how a healthy temple works," Soundwave said and went to work with the familiar tasks of preparing the next meal for both temple residents and the hungry they served. "Temple: still able to fuel all who come?"

"Yes, although it's harder every orn with more and more mecha needing help getting by," Parity said with a shake of her helm as she mixed the fuels. "We need to add some aluminum to it this time to help with deficiencies. It's in the third box to the right. Just add everything in the box or it won't be enough to make a difference for the weaker mecha." 

He nodded and did so, stirring until it was completely dissolved. "Status: corruption within the system?"

Parity's engine gave a sharp rumble as she scowled briefly. "Other than too many uppity mecha that think they are better than everyone else because of the color of their optics and sparks? Primus made everyone not just the nobles and priests. Donations from the upper class don't automatically go to the priests no matter what some might think. I'd like to see the sarpresul spend more time in the temples actually helping the masses and training the clericus rather than currying favor with the archipresuls and nobles. But what do I know, I'm just a lapresul." 

"Parity: wise. Goal: not advancement." Soundwave pointed out.

"Why would I want to join those pede-lickers?" Parity said with a scoff as she hauled a large tray of simple cubes over for filling. "I do more good down here. Besides, my frame isn't suited for public view to the nobles. They're too good to be seen with a common Kaonite frame like me. They'd send me back to Kaon sticking me with that corrupt lot. Maybe I should go and try to help. My kin tell me things are getting horrible there." 

Soundwave processed that as he began to fill the cubes with careful precision. "Kaon: the worst off?"

"Them, Tarn and Tesarus from what I hear. Manufacturing is slowing down and mining is getting more dangerous what with more and more mecha having to survive on this processed energon so they dig deeper and deeper," Parity sighed. "I keep hearing about more and more injuries in the mines." 

Soundwave gave a moment to stillness in prayer for the lost to have a swift return to Primus.

"Parity: thoughts on Megatron?"

"If he's half of what he says he is I'll eat my pede," Parity said bluntly as she switched the trays. "He talks a good talk and walks some of it, but I don't see how he can do what he says he wants without more violence. Oh he says what mecha want to hear about the future, but he doesn't explain how he wants to get to there." 

"Explanation: also lacks how to remain a good future," Soundwave added his deepest concern. "Parity: has met Megatron?"

"Only once a long time ago when I was at the Kaonite temple," Parity replied after scanning through her memories. "He was a miner who worked in an energon mine. He was charismatic even back then." 

"Megatron: spark ill suited to its frame's function," Soundwave nodded in understanding. "Parity: any questions for when Soundwave meets Megatron?"

"You're going to go meet him? Be careful not to make him angry; there are a lot of hot-tempered mecha following him. You've got an advantage because you used to be a priest, but you're bonded to a well-known entertainer. He'll poke at the money and security you have," Parity thought before continuing. "Ask him how he intends to prevent this kind of disparity from occurring again. That'll tell you more about him than anything else." 

Soundwave inclined his helm in acceptance of the statement-order and focused on preparing the rest of the cubes they would give out.

* * *

~Jazz's concert was this crowded but felt a lot less hostile,~ Laserbeak observed from her perch on Soundwave's shoulder as they stood near the edge of the rally in Tyger Pax. A number of convoy frames stood out above the mass of heavily built workers gathered around a stage where Megatron was chanting about better wages and safer conditions. Those were things Laserbeak could agree should be available for everyone. It was not too much to expect to be able to support yourself on a full time wage. It was not too much to have simple safety measures and working equipment in place. Everyone did better when they had enough fuel and repair. She could not understand why owners couldn't see that. It was so painfully obvious. 

~Greed.~ Soundwave informed her as he carefully worked his closer to the stage. Megatron was well known for coming down, shaking hands, gripping shoulders and speaking to those attending but with this size of a crowd he would need to be towards the front if he wanted to be sure to have an opening.

The sleek white and red Seeker at Megatron's side locked optics on him briefly before continuing to study the crowd.

~He thinks he knows who we are,~ Laserbeak said suspiciously as she stared up at the Seeker almost defiantly. She didn't know who he was but it seemed strange to have a Seeker in this kind of company. It looked to an outsider like proof that this was a group dedicated to helping everyone.

~Soundwave: possibly recognized,~ Soundwave said as he continued to move towards the stage although he did not force his way through the crowd. There was simmering hostility but also hope in the crowd around him. ~Hosts: rare.~

~And we didn't try to make either of you look different,~ Ravage added. ~Should have. That Seeker ... he's like the sentry-bird. All squawk and hard to catch.~

~You spot anything suspicious yet?~ Laserbeak asked as Soundwave finally stopped moving through the crowd now that he was closer to the front. She winced internally imagining the helmache this was going to give Soundwave once everything was over.

~The enforcers around the perimeter are a bit edgy, but nothing seems to be in the works over here yet,~ Ravage replied. ~How close before you can sense another 'path? I'm sure I've got a symbiot up here. No way that thing is local.~ He added an image capture of the large-billed mechabird.

~Distance: depends on their strength and training. General range: ten mechanomiles. None: in range. Image?~ Soundwave replied before studying the image of impressive dark colored megabill. ~Identity: unknown.~ 

~Let's avoid hostile contact if we can,~ Laserbeak said after studying the image of the large avianoid with an impressive and sharp beak. ~I don't want to get in an aerial fight right now especially with a Seeker and this many enforcers around. Getting arrested would cause Jazz problems.~ 

~Saying 'hi, who are you' is not hostile,~ Ravage pointed out a bit insulted that she assumed he'd cause a fight.

~Probability: symbiot here to record events for law enforcement. Do not bother it,~ Soundwave said firmly.

~Event like this anything could be considered provocation. Especially a felinoid approaching an avianoid,~ Laserbeak replied to Ravage before subsiding and focusing her attention on the crowd. Megatron's speech had riled up many members who had begun chanting loudly. That made many of the law enforcement mecha all the more uneasy. Megatron might not have a reputation for starting riots but they had happened. The energy was there to turn mecha into a mob.

Both symbiots leaned in mentally to support their host s he suffered the ever more powerful buzzing discomfort from thoughts and energy involved.

"We will triumph and change Cybertron forever!" Megatron finished his speech with a yell. The crowd began chanting his name as the charismatic gladiator stepped down off the stage and into their midst.

Soundwave braced himself for the former gladiator's approach as those around him surged forward.

~He's coming to us,~ Laserbeak said with certainty after a moment.

"Welcome Soundwave. What brings you to a worker's rally?" Megatron's deep voice carried a strength that came from the spark.

"Soundwave: former priest," Soundwave found it hard not to focus on Megatron. There was definitely a pull and charisma to the social activist. In another time or place the confidence and power he felt from this mech would have been almost enticing. "Concern: less fortunate." 

"It's good that some priests are still concerned with what's important. Say after I have finished and we can truly discuss what can be done," Megatron's words and smile were genuine yet Soundwave picked up the indistinct undercurrent hum that tended to mark murderers and long-term gang members.

"Affirmative," Soundwave said after a nanoklik of hesitation. He needed to know more about this mech so his family could make the best decisions for the future. The pleasure in Megatron was clear and honest as he turned to the next closest mech.

* * *

"Relax. You would know it if Soundwave was in any trouble," Prowl insisted from his lounge on the convoy-sized couch as Jazz paced once more.

"He _is_ disturbed." Jazz insisted with a huff as a flopped into a chair in their grand suite at the hotel.

"That is expected. He is trying to get a read on a rabble-rouser." Prowl said.

"In a crowd of emotionally charged mecha some of whom are hostile toward anyone who is doing better than them," Jazz said as he started to get back up and start pacing again. "Soundwave might not keep up my level of finish but he is clearly far better off than most workers. Plus he's a host. You know how prejudiced mecha can be."

"Yes," Prowl accepted and even agreed with the reasoning. "I also promised I would not let you out of this suite before he gets back. High grade? Snack? Berth?" He tried to suggest a distraction that might help pass the time.

"Let's grab a drink. At least that way you'll be fueled up enough to go rescue him if necessary," Jazz said as he headed over to snag two cubes and a bottle of Altihexian starshot. The solar high grade had enough copper and pyrite in it to appeal to both of them.

"Ravage and Laserbeak will let us know if that becomes necessary," Prowl agreed calmly as he clamped down on his anticipation of the good tasting high grade. It was better than what he bought for himself even though it was only mid-range of what the entertainer stocked. 

"I know," Jazz sighed and offered Prowl a quad-shot to his single shot. While the high grade wasn't a significant distraction watching Prowl with it and the struggle to sip it did help his mood. Only halfway through his shot all the tension bled from Jazz's frame. "They're headed back, apparently a local Enforcer recognized him and offered him a lift home."

"So I do not need to plot a rescue mission after all," Prowl said even as he relaxed at the news.

"No, he's explaining why he was at the rally. Apparently former priests being concerned about potential manipulation of the lower classes is a good excuse for showing up." After a pause, Jazz added. "Not wanting to cause a scene by declining an invitation to speak with the main speaker is considered a rational response to the situation."

"I am glad the local law believes him," Prowl let out a breath of relief.

"It seems that Soundwave's willingness to share what his telepathy picked up is helping," Jazz added with a frown that earned him a look from Prowl. "Ah, the Enforcer knows all hosts have it and asked outright."

"It will be interesting hearing how much his opinion to us matches his statement to them," Prowl hummed thoughtfully.

"Why wouldn't it?" Jazz scowled.

"Because you do not admit to potential criminal acts to law enforcement. I have gotten rid of owners by leaving information out for them to find. If Soundwave really liked Megatron it would be dangerous to you and his temple to admit it." Prowl shrugged.

"He seemed disturbed at points although I don't know if that was because of the content of the speeches or the crowd around him," Jazz said after considering Prowl suggestion carefully. "I know Parity doesn't really like Megatron, and Soundwave trusts her judgment." 

"We will just have to wait. Soundwave is safe and coming. How can I distract you until they are here?" Prowl asked and finished his high grade.

"Tell me what you think of the idea of moving to Altihex or one of the moons instead of a colony world," Jazz asked. "The orbital city doesn't seem to be attracting the same kind of attention as others on Cybertron."

"It is having the same shortages though as far as staying away from the fighting it is definitely an option and I am fine with living in space or on a moon," Prowl pointed having investigated the orbital city as a possible home for the family. "If we are going to remain in this system I lean towards Harmonex. It has a low dissident rate, it loves music, Soundwave has friends there and my presence is likely to protect us that much more because of how they view me. The larger moon has an extension of the Archives so I'd prefer that one."

"If things don't seem to be as bad as you originally suspected I'd like to look at one of those options as a temporary home," Jazz said thinking about Prowl's words. "Harmonex is still the best option, but the moon would get us up and away from things." 

"I hope I am predicting it far worse than it will be," Prowl willingly said. "I hope this is settled peaceably. I do not trust violent beings easily."

"Individuals don't tend to be violent unless they have little to lose. It's groups of mecha with nothing to lose that worry me," Jazz admitted. 

"That is what we are facing. That is what worries me being so close to the places of power," Prowl said and paused when Jazz perked up. "He is in the building?"

"They're all here," Jazz said as he tried to head towards the door almost growling at Prowl as he kept between the musician and the door. If he didn't know better he would of thought that Prowl was enjoying thwarting his actions. "You don't have to protect me anymore."

"Just because they are here does not mean they will be the ones who reach the door first," Prowl replied calmly. "You pay me very well to be between you and potential trouble," he added before pinging the door open.

"Prowl, Jazz: greetings." Soundwave greeted them while Laserbeak flew in and Ravage rubbed against Prowl's side before the dragon stepped out of Soundwave's way.

"It is good to know it went well," Prowl said before making sure the door was locked.

"Affirmative," Soundwave said as he hugged Jazz soaking in the genuine affection to help buffer against the previous intense emotions.

"I can see how things go badly at other rallies," Ravage grumbled as he settled against Prowl in front of the couch. "Although Megatron doesn't blatantly call for violence he sure doesn't seem adverse to it happening." 

"Megatron: gladiator. Violence: what he succeeds with. Megatron: very charismatic. A special spark." Soundwave sat down and accepted the cube of high grade Jazz offered him while the family settled close to listen to what the three had experienced.

"Someone who really trusts their symbiot sent one to watch. The host wasn't in range. That's further than we usually roam," Ravage added.

"It was a megabill avianoid," Laserbeak explained to Prowl and Jazz while Ravage sent the image capture to them.

"Was it with the enforcers? A combat effective symbiot could be considered safe with them," Jazz speculated as he pondered the sharp bill.

"Assumption: enforcer," Soundwave agreed.

"I didn't ask," Ravage added. "They didn't think saying hi was a good idea."

"A special spark?" Prowl asked focused attentively on that statement. 

Soundwave paused to organize a reply to something he simply _knew_.

"Special spark: one that serves a greater purpose and is sent to perform a duty for Primus rather than who commissioned the frame. Examples: some Primes, priests, revolutionaries in many fields. Many cause major changes. Some preserve what Primus values most through turmoil."

"Slag, does that mean he's going to revitalize everything or tear it apart?" Jazz said as he leaned against Soundwave's shoulder. "What'd you honestly think of him?" 

"Unknown. Current intent: tear society apart," Soundwave replied quietly. "Iacon: unsafe to remain in. Timing: not soon. Forces: insufficient for major damage."

"So we've got a little time to save and prep," Jazz said quietly, the reality that he might have to leave his condo behind to protect his family sinking into his processor. "Prowl, you're in charge of the family's funds; we'll start pricing new locations to live. Security is going to be a sticking point. I don't want to be anywhere that won't be safe for us." 

"Jazz, until the market crashes we could live in a noble sector. Finances are _good_. Your earnings are good. I may always think I can do better but we barely use one percent of your net worth per vorn. As long as you are still earning a great deal more can be used with little impact. If it becomes a matter of safety we can draw a lot more from the rest of our accounts to make up for it," Prowl told him firmly. "Shanix are not an issue."

Prowl's reminders and Soundwave's embrace settled the musician down a bit. "Are we diversified enough outside the markets? Are there things we can purchases that would be movable with us to a colony and yet still be valued there?" 

"Not as much as I would like," Prowl admitted as only he could. "We have some investments in the inter-galactic stock market, the one beyond the empire. It is difficult to judge for me right now and I am uneasy with risking much there unless we must move to the edge of the empire to stay out of this and I have better information on them. Land is not a good investment. Historically in a revolution it is likely to be confiscated by the government and the rebels. The best transportable assets will be materials that the colonies cannot get easily, materials that are valuable to the non-Cybertronian population beyond the border, energon production devices, weapons, a ship and knowledge. More than anything what seems the most valuable there are survival skills and the skills that allow one to build or at least repair devices. The significant advantage we have is that even on an organic world energon will not be an issue for us. I can supply it if need be.

"I ... there is one other option we should discuss that I know is possible," Prowl said very uneasily. "It is a frightening one however it would keep us safe on Cybertron. There is Csillagos Szentély. If you change your frames to beast-alts we can survive there. No modern army will cross that boarder. However if we go there we cannot change our minds and leave for a colony. The ship we would need to leave on could not be stored in the area."

"I thought their meat was toxic to you?" Ravage asked remembering the Tour of Tables and the events there. It was hard to forget one of the only things that Prowl had ever refused to consume. 

"Orszem meat is. The domestic mechanimals are simply gross. The vegetation is unpleasant but possible. The real plan would be to fly outside the estate to hunt. If it becomes that bad there will be a lot of carrion and enemies to fuel from," Prowl's field and expression said how little he liked the idea. He was willing if it was the family's best choice overall.

"I'm not certain that Csillagos Szentély will welcome outsiders given their reclusive nature, but it is something to consider," Ravage said thinking it over. He wasn't certain whether the locals would actually like having a dragon around although the native wildlife would definite discourage anything but the most devastating of invasions.

"I'm going to learn how to fix my instruments," Jazz said after thinking about Prowl's list of valuable skills and things he could do to try and help. "At the least I should be able to do the basic repairs on my own. I played on the streets for a bit before I began to hit it big; I could do it again if necessary." 

"That is a good idea," Prowl readily went for the more palatable subject. "I can repair small energon production systems and I have an enormous digital library. All of the skills I am developing to get home with are valuable on a new colony. How to do basic maintenance on yourselves and each other would be very valuable. It does not take a medical degree to save a spark. Even so our greatest asset in any situation where a war happens is likely to be Soundwave's optics."

"Priests have a certain amount of status even in the lowest classes," Jazz agreed. "It might make someone hesitate to do something to us."

"Soundwave already knows how to do basic repairs on us," Laserbeak said thoughtfully. "That could translate to working on himself and Jazz with some training. Taking classes in basic first aid wouldn't be too unusual, and we can buy vids and files about doing repairs. We might want to stock up on spare parts for all of us especially since so many of us have rare or unusual frames." 

"Is there anything I can provide information on to help you make the choice of how we will face this and the backup choice?" Prowl asked softly.

"Harmonex is a good choice if we don't think the fighting is going to be too bad or long. Neither of you sound optimistic about that," Jazz glanced at Soundwave for a nanoklik before coming to a conclusion. "Start looking at different colony worlds to find one that will accept us. I'd say Csillagos Szentély is reserved for if things are bad and we are unable to acquire ship to get away. Soundwave and I will look into possible alternate forms since legs will be easier for navigation where there are no roads."

"We'll start stocking up on parts and supplies. We'll keep our sensors on the surrounding area and hope we can pull off some advance warning," Ravage agreed with a nod towards Laserbeak. 

"I will continue to do what I can to gather information and ensure we have the finances to have a good functioning." Prowl nodded. 

* * *

The flight into Helex for Jazz's family on board a shuttle-former was a calm affair. Despite concerns about spending the shanix he acquiesced to Soundwave's insistence that he had an image to maintain and going in anything less than a private craft simply would not do. After Prowl laid out the finances of the trip against their holdings he'd actually relaxed about it. Yes, it was an expensive trip with a large, multi-berthroom suite in one of Helex's finer hotels for a metacycle and a half during the most expensive time possible but it still didn't put a dent in their finances. The three gigs he had there more than paid for the entire trip.

By the time the shuttle set down on the hotel's landing strip all of them had given up trying to suppress their grins at Prowl's energy. The dragon large enough for Jazz to ride was dancing in place with his head high, his wings fluttering and his tail orb blowing an incredibly bright violet. His field was just as bright, a riot of excitment beyond measure at seeing the Showcase in such a very different city. The visits with Jazz when on tour were fun but this was a stay and it was during the Imperial Showcase.

Ravage had to hide his snicker at Prowl's almost-squeak of excitement when the shuttle's door opened and true to form as the guard he definitely did not look like he was out first. Only Soundwave knew just how alert he really was despite the honest display.

"Greetings, Maestro Jazz," a small light blue rotor-frame said as the family finished exiting the shuttle. "I am Camphor and am your butler for your stay. If you wish anything I will arrange it," he continued and pinged them his comm ID.

Despite his excitement at their arrival, Prowl made certain to check Camphor's credentials. ~He checks out,~ he told Soundwave quietly by pressing against the host's field.

~Surface intentions: good,~ Soundwave agreed with him.

"Great," Jazz greeted him with a smile and let the paranoid ones do their job. He fully trusted them all to grab, push, block and otherwise keep him from danger. "I'm looking forward to seeing more of Helex this time but right now we just want to settle in," he said with a nod and they all willingly followed for the short walk to their luxury suite. At another time they would have the penthouse but with staying through the Showcase it was reserved by more important mecha than an A-list musician. 

"You are staying in the WindFire suite," Camphor said as he keyed the door open and escorted them into the large suite obviously designed with a shuttle or convoy-size frame in mind. Jazz had deliberately asked for a suite that would be comfortable for Prowl's much-larger frame, and he was pleased with the hotel's offering. 

"Lovely and suitably sized for Prowl," Jazz said and walked in slowly to take it and the view in while Prowl, Ravage and Laserbeak spread out to do their own investigations leaving Soundwave to guard Jazz's person.

Though he kept it tightly professional Camphor was undeniably pleased that it passed first muster while he began the tour of the twelve room suite with the master berthroom and its attached washrack. During the tour they found Prowl on a secondary balcony staring out at the city and enjoying the wind. Without looking away from the view, he said, "My berth area is of satisfactory size and nicely soft."

"Good," Jazz nodded and watched as Prowl launched from the flight-frame friendly balcony to begin his tour outside. Along the way they saw the more intimate entertainment room where a huge vid screen was hidden inside a window wall that gave a great city view when the screen wasn't on. Near it was a formal dining room which had a smaller but more formal entertainment area connected to it by a set of inlaid sliding doors. The three additional berthrooms each had their own washrack and the library/office was near the master berthroom. The room that took up almost a third of the entire suite was the grand balcony and was well suited for the outdoor living so many flight frames enjoyed.

"Suite: satisfactory," Soundwave said as the tour ended. Laserbeak had noted the staff bringing their bags into the room, although they were discreet enough not to be noticed by the average mecha.

"Please send up a list of suitable restaurants for tomorrow's dinner," Jazz said as he dismissed Camphor from the suite. 

"Location: pleasant temporary home. Jazz: will enjoy servants. Servants: paid well," Soundwave wrapped his arms around his love and held him.

"Good. That means less chance of gossip," Jazz said as they moved over to a watch Prowl and Laserbeak enjoy their flight around the hotel. "You think we're safe here?"

"Affirmative," Soundwave said as he lightly kissed Jazz's helm. "Enforcers: high alert for Showcase. Military: also on alert. Helex: not a soft target." 

Jazz nodded and relaxed back. "Let's enjoy our washrack while everyone's bust exploring."

* * *

From his perch up in the rigging Prowl scanned the stage and crowd below him looking for trouble. Jazz's first concert in Helex was going as well as could be expected given the excitement of the Imperial Showcase. There was a large mix of flight frames and grounders watching the show, and Jazz had obliged his current location by singing several old favorites from his dragon albums as well as the new music this tour was promoting. Even though Prowl was on guard it was enjoyable to listen to the music as well. It was during one of the rowdier songs that Prowl's attention focused on an out of place movement in the pattern below. Someone was purposefully working their way close to the stage. 

It was a lithe femme cycleformer heading towards the front of the stage. Security seemed to be paying attention to her and shifted to block her path. Scanning through the crowd he noticed a larger mech watching the femme's movements. He would step forward toward the left side of the stage as she moved and would pause whenever security looked his way. It made the mech his focus though anything that got on the stage was going to get pounced. Incidents were gratefully rare but it wouldn't be the first time Prowl could reach an attacker before security.

The femme moved and so did the big mech. The next cycle had Prowl crawling forward to brace directly over Jazz while still out of view of anyone who wasn't using infrared to watch. With the next round he leaned forward to just before overbalancing and tensed for the drop.

The femme reached into a small subspace pocket causing security to surge towards her. At the same moment the mech lunged forward, punched the distracted security officer in the helm and hauled himself up on the stage. Prowl tipped forward at the punch with a bass roar that sent Jazz backwards towards the band and dancers and used just enough of his wings to direct his fall onto the mech nearly as big as he was and easily twice the mass. 

The sudden impact jarred the mech enough to knock him over although he managed to twist onto his side instead of falling off the stage. He lashed out and struck Prowl in the face with his fist. It snapped Prowl's head back and gave the mech an opening to hit the dragon square in the chest before Prowl got his jaws around one wrist and used his wings as much as his frame strength to toss his opponent right in front of the security mecha.

One of the largest of the security officers tackled the aggressor to the ground while another piled on top of the mech's legs trying to use sheer weight and leverage to pin their target.

Prowl kept himself between Jazz and the both potential attackers using his wings to help obscure Jazz's frame from any possible shots. By the time the big mech had been cuffed and was being hauled away the femme had been taken away as well and Prowl cautiously moved forward to judge if anything more was coming. Only the few who knew him well recognized it when he relaxed to a normal alert and turned to double check that Jazz was undamaged.

"Well, that wasn't intended to be part of the show, but everybody welcome Prowl to the stage," Jazz improvised as he turned to let Prowl see that he was unharmed other than a few small smudges to his finish from the sudden movement. 

The dragon gave him a final sniff and dipped his head to the crowd in acknowledgment of the cheers he got after Jazz's announcement before bunching his hindquarters under him to launch upwards to settle into the rigging once more. His face hurt with dozens of breaks and his chest was dented but as Jazz started on the interrupted song again he pushed all of that to the background to make sure no one else tried to get on stage.

The dancers started back up and continued the show. It was obvious to Prowl that everyone on stage was trying to act like the scuffle hadn't happened. The crowd gave a loud ring of applause after the song was completed and continued to show enthusiasm throughout the rest of the performance. For Prowl's part he was grateful when the final current call happened so he could finally get Jazz to his finishing room and call the medic for some basic first aid and painkillers before heading to the hotel and a real medic for the fiddly work on his face.

* * *

The oil bath the medic had recommended had done a good job soothing the kinks he'd developed subduing Jazz's attacker. Pulling himself up out of the oil bath and stretching out his frame Prowl let the excess oil drip out before shaking a bit and stepping over the edge to where Ravage and Soundwave were waiting for him with towels and several containers of polish.

"Soundwave: grateful," the telepath said as he began cleaning the excess oil off of Prowl's armor. 

"Thank you," Prowl groaned in pleasure at the care in the touch. "I am glad I was there to get in the way. That mech could have done serious damage to Jazz."

"He did do serious damage to you." Ravage grumbled about how much his lover still ached.

Prowl moved his head to nuzzle. "Self-repair would have fixed it. The medic is just faster. Jazz could have been _damaged_. He does not have a predator's frame."

"Jazz is a bit like a jump deer or anteloid. He would depend on dexterity to keep from getting attacked," Ravage agreed. "At least he has a whole team of security around him right now at the interview."

"Something happens every tour. Though they do not typically hit me," Prowl groaned in pleasure at the sensation of hot, high-quality wax being rubbed in. "What was the little femme trying to do?"

Ravage shook his head in disgust. "She had a bouquet of ruby crystal roses and purple ribbed puffplant she wanted to throw on stage. If she'd approached holding the flowers instead of carrying them in her subspace it wouldn't have been nearly as suspicious and security would have had a chance to focus on the real threat." 

"I expect she believed she stood a better chance if she did not advertise her intentions. If she were not so nervous she would have been correct," Prowl groaned deeply in welcome platonic pleasure, his field rich with appreciation and sensations of kin-belonging. "Do we know the attacker's reason?"

"Laserbeak said he was ranting about Jazz being a front for those trying destroy Cybertron. He also claimed that you are a demon monster sent by the Unmaker to consume Cybertonians," Ravage grumbled.

"Attacker: attempting processor malfunction defense," Soundwave said with a low grumble as he worked carefully on polishing Prowl's neck. 

"Good sentiment wrong target," Prowl sighed. "It would be a more believable issue with me if I was big enough to do so easily. Even starving I prefer easier meals. People are not for eating."

Only Soundwave caught the real reason Prowl was currently most against eating Cybertronians: that there was no way to tell what substances they'd consumed. It fit with the gradual shift in processor rules of the past few vorns as Prowl's expectation of having to eat people to survive increased. Since it was still firmly in the realm of desperately not wanting to do it he said nothing of it.

"He's not going to get away with claiming it was impulsive. It was too deliberate an attack with him timing his movements like that," Ravage added. "You definitely made an impression on the crowd. The local news had several stories from those impressed by your save." 

"That is good. It is difficult to determine who would find that frightening and who would understand how retrained I was," Prowl's optics began to dim. "This feels so good," he pushed his field out to share it with those pampering him.

"You'd deserve it even if this attack hadn't happened," Ravage purred as the trio enjoyed this comforting moment. 

* * *

It was an unusual orn at the Imperial Showcase for the family. Typically they stuck together or Soundwave and Laserbeak would head off while Prowl and Ravage stuck close to Jazz. This orn Jazz wanted to see the alt modes, something Soundwave didn't mind but the three with beast frames cared nothing for. So the natural bipeds were off with the vehicles where Jazz would no doubt pick up a new one while Ravage and Laserbeak were with a biped Prowl with his wings fully folded in. They were off to see the animal exhibits and Prowl was buzzing with excitement.

One of the exhibit areas was filled with a series of sealed translucent domes with a few mecha clustered around staring at the contents. "Looks like these are calcified critters from the Rust Sea," Laserbeak said after consulting the map of the exhibits and comparing it to their current location. "Explains the domes; they require some fairly harsh conditions to remain in appropriate form." 

Prowl used his height advantage to look at the odd creatures over the helms of the others while Ravage slipped between their legs to get close. On one hand the three kinds of avians there were readily identifiable to their base type. On the other the white coating they all had was decidedly strange.

"It is like they have an extra layer of armor," Prowl murmured to himself.

Laserbeak stared at the large cyber-eagle eating a fish on a branch. It looked like layers of a thick whitish crystals had built up all over its frame encasing the armor. "How does it fly with all that thick build-up on its wings and joints?"

"Apparently the calcium crust protects it from the corrosives in the environment," Ravage said after studying the dataclip on the calcified fishing cyber-eagle in the display. "I wonder if it loses it if it leaves the area?" 

"I expect it depends on how the crust forms and how easily it breaks down. Though from this display I would guess it does. Why invest in the bio-hab if it was not required?" Prowl suggested. "They may well require the elements there to survive long." 

"I wonder if a mecha who lived in the area would develop the calcium crust?" Laserbeak said idly as they stared at the avianoid rapidly consuming its meal. "It looks like all the avianoids on display have that odd covering."

"They might not even notice an acid storm with that protection," Ravage speculated as he moved over to the second display and stared at the liquid in the bottom. A circular white blob with narrow ridged tendrils around the bottom which was attached to the dome. "What's a calcified cliff jelly?"

"That's almost pure acid," Laserbeak said as she flipped her head between the liquid and the warnings displayed near the dome. 

"I am impressed," Prowl whispered. "Creator always said that life finds a way. Living in acid is still a bit much. As for mech, I would think they would if they did not perform regular maintenance. If the majority of creatures in the area have developed it the local mecha should be able to. It clearly takes time given our vacations there produced nothing noticeable."

"Apparently it consumes scraps of offlined mechanimals as well as the rare fish or insectobot that enters range of its tendrils," Ravage pulled his head back to stare at the cliff jelly. "It doesn't look like any other kind of jelly float I've ever seen." 

Prowl cocked his helm and hummed. "I can see some base similarities though I admit it is not much. The tourmaline flared jelly floats have some structural similarities."

Ravage stopped and scanned through his own memory banks to find the image of the long, three-layered pink, green and yellow jelly floats. "I think the calcification is what makes it so strange looking compared to all the others. It's hard to imagine how something typically so fluid could adapt to having such a hard shell."

"It's creepy," Laserbeak said with a small wing shudder as she shifted her attention up to the top of the dome. "Actually, that little steel robin is sort of creepy in its own right." 

"It looks like it has a mouth in the back of its neck from this angle," Prowl mused.

Laserbeak stared at it from Prowl's shoulder before launching up to take a look at it from another angle. "It does have a second mouth back there. What in the Pit does it use that for?"

Ravage dove into the second dataclip on the avianoid. "Apparently it uses it as a defensive mechanism to spray a corrosive and toxic mix into an attacker's optics." 

"That is _so_ no longer a snack," Prowl twitched and ignored the glances he got for saying it. "Acid in the face is not fun."

"It gets some protection from its own attack by the calcium coating on its frame. Even a predator with the same covering wouldn't have it on the optics or in its mouth," Ravage said giving the small avianoid a very impressed look even as he stored Prowl's reaction to pass on to Jazz and Soundwave later so they could enjoy the moment. It would be rewarding given how hard Jazz was trying to get Prowl to relax his speak mannerisms without telling him to.

"Even with protection a hit would sting. Perhaps not enough to deter a very hungry predator or opponent but more than enough to drive off a casual one," Prowl hummed. "Just how varied life can be is amazing."

"It's a sign of how harsh that area of the Rust Sea really is," Laserbeak agreed as she settled back on Prowl's shoulder. "You don't normally see that kind of defense on a small singing avianoid." "It makes you wonder what else is out there," Ravage agreed. 

"More ways to deactivate than we could imagine," Prowl chuckled before he realized the creature in the next enclosure was land based and walked over to a white crystalline fox that almost looked normal. Small for a fox it was a strong jumper and given half of the pair's enclosure was slow moving water he suspected it liked to swim.

"That wouldn't look too out of place anywhere on Cybertron," Ravage remarked as watched the small foxes, waiting for them to do something strange like the steel robin.

"This species likes to shelter in underground burrows during nastier weather," Prowl read from the dataclip. "The burrows have long curved entrances to help prevent acid from flooding into the lair."

"Practical," Ravage said as they watched one of the foxes dive into the water after a fish. "I bet the youngsters don't have as much of a protective coating so it would keep them safer." 

"It would also protect them from the larger hunters. I am sure that a calcified fishing cyber-eagle or calcified bolt-bat would grab their young given an opening," Prowl hummed and his field went softly affectionate for the playful pair that seemed to have no cares in the world. "They are adorable."

"I wonder if other crystalline creatures could adapt to those conditions or if it would damage the development of their frames," Ravage wondered idly as one of the foxes rolled over on its back and was pounced on by the other. 

"I ... what?" Prowl paused when something much larger than the foxes moved inside the enclosure after holding still up until then. "I did not realize oil waders were that large."

Twice the size of the average oil wader, the large calcified avianoid stepped forward until it was almost knee-deep and dipped its beak upside-down into the caustic liquid.

"How does it fly with its frame like that?" Laserbeak asked as she stared at the seams of crystals coming off of the frame.

"How does it see like that?" Ravage replied as he looked at the empty sockets where optics should be located.

"It has optics; they are very dim and hidden by the calcification on its head," Prowl explained after scanning the dataclip. "It filter feeds on the tiny crustaceans that like the acid. It seems they fly poorly with limited maneuverability," he pinged her a clip of a group flying in loose formation. "Fascinating that they are evolving away from flight."

"I guess it shows how stable the area is for them fuelwise," Laserbeak said slowly disturbed by the idea of an avianoid losing flight even if the species as a whole was doing it. "There seems to be a lack of large predators in the area. Probably because of a scarcity of reliable fuel. Not needing to fly away from predators would make wings less useful." 

"It is a very expensive feature," Prowl agreed and did nothing to hide that it disturbed him quite a bit too. "The foxes are adorable though," he focused on something far less disturbing.

"I don't think they'd be a threat to any oil wader larger than a hatchling," Laserbeak said, willingly diverting her own attention as well. "I wonder how many offspring they have at a time?" 

"The file says one with a pair on occasion." Prowl answered after skimming that section. "They do not reproduce often for how small they are. One carry every five vorns compared to one or more a vorn for foxes."

"I wonder if its conditions, fuel sources or something else that restricts their birth rate?" Laserbeak asked.

"Probably a combination of all of the above and a few other things we haven't thought of," Ravage agreed. 

"Likely," Prowl agreed. "There are two methods to ensure your code passes on. Create many and give little care to each or create few and devote that attention to raising them. Both methods work. Most mecha create like these foxes. Raise one to full maturity before trying for another."

"Sometimes I wish I could be that carefree again," Ravage said staring for a long klik before turning and walking towards the next exhibit. He kept quiet as Prowl and Laserbeak continued to study the mechanimals on display from the Rust Sea before they all moved onto the Capitol City space before grasping that the wire creations weren't decorations but the exhibit itself. This city had mecha at each location tending to and talking about the wire frame creatures.

"I can see them move and I still cannot believe it," Prowl murmured as he took in the wide array of them on display. While the two kinds chronohorses and the jump deer were the biggest and most obvious there were also three kinds of dragonets, turbo-dogs and a small aviary full of little song avians. It was a moment later that the maze-like display was actually full of glitch-mice and one brightly colored femme with an odd copper design on her shoulder was actually showing off a lizaroid.

It only took long enough for Prowl to get over his shock before he zeroed in on the dragonets. The closest was a silver dragonet the size of a small cyber-cat. There was a central spine slightly thicker than the rest of the frame running from the head down to the tip of the tail.

"It looks like someone stripped the frame down to the struts and left the rest here," Laserbeak muttered. 

"That is the goal of the Fragile Creatures type," the mech smiled at them. "It took considerable engineering to achieve."

"What's the purpose?" Ravage asked staring at the wire webbing on the silver dragonet's wings.

"Aesthetics mostly although their inability to survive without their owner's support means they do not escape and spread and become an invasive species in a new area," the mech explained. 

"So they cannot become feral. How can they reproduce without and space for the new frames?" Prowl asked as he knelt to get optic level on the tiny creature.

"One of the glitch mice is likely showing it. They fill in with a light skin of armor around the ribs," he brushed the thin tubing of the dragonet's main body. "The sparklings develop inside."

"Do the wings do the same thing so that the dragonet can fly?" Laserbeak asked concerned that it might be permanent grounded. 

"There are three ways they fly, depending on the owner and frameline. Most owners use a sturdy plastic sheet that attaches to the wing frame for flight time. It is the most reliable method. Some are capable of growing a membrane while others use a force field to fill in the spaces. The membrane is considered a defect by the original specs but since some mecha like the look it continues to be produced."

"I guess it would be considered a defect since it means it could fly away," Ravage said doubtfully. Personally, he thought the membrane being able to grow in would be a positive trait but it would make better able to escape captivity.

"The dark red optics are beautiful," Laserbeak said diplomatically. 

"Slowly starving because it does not know how to find fuel isn't an easy way to go," the handler said gently. "Fragile Creatures are not equipped to survive without care and shelter so they were designed so it's difficult for them to get lost. We want them to be happy with us so their fields are soothing."

"If they are happy that's acceptable to me," Ravage said finally after studying the way the dragonet was happily rubbing its head against the mech's hand. "How long do they live?"

"They can live for over 1000 vorns with proper care," the mech said proudly. 

"That's a long existence for such a small creature," Ravage had to admit.

"Are all the dragonets similar? I can see small shifts in structure and finish. Is that all?" Prowl asked.

"The fragile garnet spark dragonet is from an earlier line variant so it has more differences but all three species are descended from the same origin species," the mech explained as he stroked the delicate neck. "The garnet has the shorter life expectancy though only by about 10%. It has a slightly faster metabolism than the silver and copper and tends to be noticeably more active," he nodded towards the example who was climbing all over its handler and even leaping into the air from her helm now and then. "That is not unusual behavior for a well fueled garnet; they are very curious and can alert their owner of unexpected things by trying to check them out. This lazy relaxing is typical of the silver and bronze. They are all wonderful pets. It's just important to pick the right kind of temperament for your lifestyle. The most difficult part of owning any of the Fragile dragonets is that they are strongly owner bonded. They cannot be left at home or even in the care of another for long without developing serious behavioral issues so good breeders will make sure that whatever one's ornly function is like it is suitable to have the dragonet with you at nearly all times."

"Not a pet for anyone with a job where they have to travel, but I can see where it would make a good pet if you have an office or work from home," Laserbeak said as she watched the garnet one dart around before settling onto its handler's shoulder. She poured a few small rich orange capsules onto her palm and held it up for the dragonet to eat from. The longer they watched the dragonets the less disturbing she found their unusual frames. They were obviously well adjusted and happy with their current conditions. Only the largest of them had any form of leash or halter. "Do they need mecha for more than just the flight membranes? Are they as delicate metabolically as they are structurally?"

"They do require specially processed energon and coolant since their systems are restricted by their frame structure. Cold or hot climates are not ideal because their thermal regulation can be temperamental. It is not obvious right now but this area where we stay for the Showcase has tight environmental controls and we have both heaters and cool bath equipment in case of system failure during weather too extreme for them. These little ones can survive inside our frames if need be but the big ones have to have the area right. They were optimized for Capitol City's climate. That's true of all the fragile creatures," the mech elaborated after a pause. 

"That would help explain why they are so rare elsewhere," Prowl hummed and watched as the garnet dragonet went back to checking out everything with its snack done. "Would it be true that they have quite limited energy reserves?"

"For their mass, no. What is deceptive is they are as long as an average forearm but only weigh what an average glitch mouse does. A normal mechanimal this size would weigh at least twenty or thirty times that."

"The changes to their frame cut down on the system requirements," Ravage said with an understanding nod. "It's an interesting choice of aesthetics. Do you know which was the first fragile creature created?"

"That would be the fragile glitch mice," the mech said with a nod towards the display of them. "If you look they have proportionally more of a standard frame than the majority of others. It's also why they are the ones most likely to survive more than an orn if they manage to escape." 

"Thank you," Prowl said as his attention focused on the chronohorses. "Hello," he greeted the pair of lightly built cycleformers that seemed to be the handlers. "Can they be ridden?"

"The smoky mono-horned chronohorse is a larger species and can be ridden by a minibot or smaller frame. It is still in development as a species so it is not as structurally compressed as we'd like to see. The fragile mono-horned chronohorse was the first developed from a smaller type of mono-horned chronohorse and is only capable of being ridden by a small sparkling or microbot," the femme cycleformer explained. "They were not intended to be riding beasts any more than the turbo-dogs."

"Understandable," Prowl nodded. "Are they as friends as they seem?"

"If you offer your hand palm up so that they can scent you and detect your field they may allow you to touch," the femme said as she glanced at Prowl's wings and then at Ravage. "They may have issues with your companion since he is a felinoid large enough to be a threat to them." 

"Thank you," Prowl did as instructed, moving slowly and tried not to invade the creature's space while getting close enough for it to easily detect him. "They look very fast. Do they like to run?"

"Yes, and they are light enough that they can run across delicate surfaces that most larger species will break through although they are nervous on ice since the cold bothers their frames," she smiled as the smoky mono-horned chronohorse leaned over a brushed against Prowl's field.

"It looks a bit like an organic's strut structure," Ravage said from his spot behind Prowl.

"That comparison has been made before by xenobiologists," the other cycleformer agreed. "The other species all had similar moments in their development." 

"It truly is amazing," Prowl murmured and took the curious teek from the creature as an okay to try and touch with his palm still open and got a nuzzle for the effort. "It is strange to see a mechanimal this tall and not have it resister as a potential prey," his tone shifted to a more mesmerized one at the sheer contradiction.

"Is that because it does not have the traditional armor and cabling?" the mech cycleformer asked.

"My instincts are telling me they are all possible fuel until the mechanimal moves," Laserbeak said from her spot on Prowl's shoulder. 

"I believe it is because they have so little mass in a large area. A petro-rabbit may have a similar mass but it is a neat mouthful to my alt and they are much smaller than what I would prefer to hunt. These are not an easy mouthful. They are large but they have so little mass," Prowl explained as he thought it through and continued to stroke the smoky mono-horned chronohorse's neck.

"They don't register as good prey to me either," Ravage said after thinking about the chronohorse's structure compared to things that usually triggered his predatory instincts. "There's too many places to miss a strike when attacking. The other chronohorse is even less acceptable as prey since it has even less mass." 

"That is fascinating to know," the handler smiled warmly before they moved off to check out the turbo-dogs.

* * *

Home.

A metacycle and a half in Helex and the Imperial Showcase there had been amazing beyond glyphs and they were all grateful beyond glyphs to be home again where they all felt safe.

Jazz was ensconced in his music room working off almost too much inspiration to cope with. Ravage and Laserbeak headed out to scout all the changes while they'd been gone. It left Soundwave and Prowl effectively alone in the condo and Prowl took it upon himself to ensure the member of the family least likely to look after himself got what he needed. With a light head butt and some slightly more subtle body movements he got the telepath into the master berthroom and relaxed at the x-vent of relief when the door closed and shielded him from the outside.

Soundwave stepped over and eventually collapsed on the berth. "Prowl: join?" He asked as he motioned to the other side of the berth. The dragon's presence was soothing compared to the chaos of minds he'd dealt with during the Showcase and it gave him something to focus on outside himself as he rebalanced himself and his shielding. 

"Happily," Prowl answered honestly and leapt onto the berth to settle against Soundwave's side so they were just touching. "You hide your distress well."

"Soundwave: used to crowds," Soundwave reached over and stroked Prowl's head and basked in the warm platonic pleasure it created. Enjoyment that demanded nothing more of him. It had been a long time since he'd been in a crowd that big for that long. The number of aliens was the real processor ache. They could be heard and understood but that took effort. If he didn't put in the effort it was a buzzing hum at a truly irritating frequency.

The silence was both blessing and a shock after so much noise.

Prowl hummed and nuzzled him lightly. He was content to be still and silent, to take a nap or anything else Soundwave needed most right then.

Soundwave allowed time to pass as they relaxed on the berth. After a while once his head was a bit more settled he asked, "Prowl: favorite part of Showcase?" 

"All the fuels. It was well worth everything I set aside for it. So many tastes and textures and varieties. More than half of it was at least based on publicly available recipes too. I enjoyed seeing all the small aliens too, and none of the kind that captured me. Though I understand it's possible the species might not even exist anymore. It is so strange to think of a quarter vorn as an entire generation and societies that rarely last a decade or two. So many were friendly." Prowl happy babbled about what he'd seen and enjoyed.

"Visitors: Showcase draws friendly visitors," Soundwave agreed. "Organics: short-lived. Mechanoids: longer contact and closer fuel types. Mechanoids: closer competition for Cybertronians." 

"They can all be dangerous," Prowl didn't exactly counter the assessment. "I do not understand why mecha cannot predict the outcome of producing more than can be fueled. Nothing good comes of it."

"Mecha: some kept oblivious. Other mecha: no concern for future," Soundwave sighed. "Some mecha: concerned for future." 

"Different leadership priorities," Prowl huffed. "Why do they not get rid of Megatron? He intends to be rid of them."

Soundwave thought about how to phrase the answer so Prowl could understand it. "Online: Megatron potential problem. Offline: Megatron a martyr. Martyr: inspire more extreme radicals." 

He listed quietly while Prowl thought that over. Thought over stories and myths he'd learned on Cybertron of heroes and deactivated leaders. Then he went somewhere new around Soundwave. He went to his own culture's stories. The designations that could rally, those that could stop a fight and shame, the ones he wasn't supposed to know yet that were used against older adults to make them reconsider their path. There were even couple designations and stories that Soundwave recognized from the earliest of the priesthood's. There were minor differences like all the good beings were dragons and the stories were told from the perspective of an apex flying predator yet he knew them. Now he wondered which side told the original and if there had been a time when there hadn't been sides.

"Will they try to stop him before he strikes?" Prowl asked uneasily.

"Probability: high," Soundwave said thinking about past attempts at revolutions and the results. "ISO: monitor trouble. ISO: Imperial Special Operations. ISO: very dangerous. Issue: assassination failure. Failure: revolution all but certain." 

"Failure wouldn't matter if the strike was ready. The revolution would have already started," Prowl sighed. "I want you far from Iacon when it happens."

"Family: exploring options," Soundwave agreed, dreading the idea of Jazz being caught in the potential disaster. "Harmonex: permits for search in three vorn." 

"Good," Prowl let out an x-vent of relief and forced himself off the distressing subjects that consumed much of his free thought. "I do not think I am good at waiting when I know what should be done."

"Prowl: impatient with bureaucracy," Soundwave teased lightly trying to relax the dragon. "Trait: required learning for scientist."

It earned a chuckle. "So I have been told repeatedly. Patience is a difficult skill for me. Was it difficult for you?"

"Affirmative," Soundwave admitted. "Meditation: distracting. Prayers: easier. Telepathy: improved control made patience easier." 

"You had stronger motivation than I do to learn," Prowl nodded slightly and relaxed the rest of the way. "How is meditation different from prayers?"

"Prayers: rote learning but a focus. Meditation: contemplating spark and Primus," Soundwave tried to explain what was now innate to him. "Meditation: opening mind. Thoughts: harder to block out." 

Prowl lifted his helm with a bright curiosity in him. "That is very different from the meditation I was beginning to learn. It meant to still the processors and frame; to not think about anything and simply exist. I was not good at that at all. Though I suppose distracting is a way to describe it. Pain is distracting."

"Pain: strong distraction for all," Soundwave agreed wincing a bit at the reminder of his current sensitivity from the trip and crowd. After thinking a moment, he switched to Primal Vernacular since he still thought about his time as a priest in that dialect and it was Prowl's native language, a much more precise language in many ways. "Different forms of meditation have degrees of difficulty depending upon who is using them. Meditation through stillness is difficult for telepaths and empaths because the lack of distraction can allow the emotions or thoughts of others to become overwhelming. I suspect it is very difficult for you and many scientists because you are hardwired to not stop thinking. Spark meditation is a little easier because your own thoughts can eventually form a barrier to outside distractions." 

Prowl followed, understanding, and suddenly paused with a flash of comprehension. "There are different kinds of mediation."

"Affirmative," Soundwave smiled at him softly and scritched Prowl's neck for the rumbling wave of _good_ that came from it. "All meditation has the goal of centering oneself. How one does that can vary greatly. One priest who was a former warrior did so with weapon katas. I have encountered several who use dance or unarmed katas. Most do so sitting still. It is not required."

"That is good to know," Prowl's rumble was nearly a purr from the scritching and his tail was the warm blue of contentment. "Do prayers mean something different in common usage than to priests? Most references to prayers are more active. Sending a message to Primus in hope for a good response. Like when someone is badly damaged it seems common to say 'sending our prayers' and 'pray for him to get better' type things."

"Prayers are a way for a mecha to speak to Primus. Some mecha talk to Primus as if they are talking to a friend. For some saying 'praying for you' is a way of trying to do something in a situation they cannot directly influence," Soundwave leaned back and enjoyed the warmth coming off Prowl's frame. "Priests have a closer connection to Primus than commoners partially because they spend so much time doing his work. Many of the priest's prayers are to remind priests of their duties and responsibilities." 

"Aurora, a priest-instructor I had, described it as the difference between reading an experiment and doing it. One is knowledge, the other is immersive understanding." Prowl happily snuggled close and shifted a wing to drape lightly over Soundwave in a blanket. "That sounds like the difference in what praying is between commoners and priests."

"That is another way of describing the difference," Soundwave agreed. "I've also heard it described as the difference between an art critic and the average viewer. The art critic knows why the art is a masterpiece that appeals to the masses." 

Prowl snorted in good humor. "I will refrain from saying what I think of critics." 

The distinction in Prowl's thoughts between his view of the art critics and the way he had been thinking about the family earlier was almost jarring. Soundwave realized something that had been in the back of his thoughts for a little while now. Prowl had come to view Soundwave's family as people. Not just sentient beings living around him -- things he was obligated to respect the rights of -- but his own kind. This family mattered to him as his mauna did. It was why he was so paranoid about something happening to them if the rioting actually came to Iacon. 

"Thank you," Soundwave relaxed his frame to contemplate how far Prowl had come in two and a half centuries. 


	4. While Iacon Burns

Prowl was agitated and couldn't tell them why. Not even Soundwave could pick it up, only that it related to vibrations and air pressure in some way. Flying made it worse. A nap made it worse. The hunger that Prowl hadn't felt since his adult systems came online had roared to life when he'd woken and was driving him almost as crazy as Soundwave despite indulging it to a point.

Even so it was Ravage who named what they saw.

"Fight or flight prep. Something tipped Prowl's subconscious off that something big is going down _soon_."

"How soon?" Jazz focused on the first member of the family to say anything useful.

Ravage looked at Prowl, then around in realization that everyone was focused on _him_. "Dragons don't usually rush. Maybe today or tomorrow?" He offered a complete guess. "How often has Prowl been wrong?"

"Rarely," Soundwave acknowledged and warmed a little at the pleasure the affirmation caused Prowl.

"Let's make a spontaneous trip to Harmonex," Jazz suggested thinking ahead about publicity even as he started mentally listing off things that needed to go with them. "If nothing happens then we're looking at neighborhoods to move into as a vacation home. It won't be the first news about our visits there for obvious reasons and not." 

"I like that," Laserbeak chirped.

"Yes. It sounds good. Harmonex is always enjoyable," Prowl trilled. "I like giving rides to the little ones."

"Arrangements: made," Soundwave reported.

"Let's get packed up. Subspace for energon and medkits?" Ravage said as he headed over to pack even while calculating how many bags they could take with them without drawing too much attention.

"Sounds good," Laserbeak replied. 

"Favor high grade. Most charge in smallest package," Prowl actually ordered as he made short work of stashing a couple datapads and his data cube in subspace. He pulled a favored blanket aside before heading for the energon he bought to stash it all in both subspace and around his frame in small compartments. Only when every scrap of energon in the condo was stored did he go back and store his favorite blanket in subspace.

"Jazz and Soundwave are in his studio collecting instruments and music for the trip," Laserbeak said as she headed to the symbiot's room to pick up her personal stuff once she and Ravage were loaded down with the additives and bits of energon Prowl hadn't stored. She really had to admire how much he could store inside loose armor and those little pockets. One would never guess how much he could manage given he still looked plenty sleek.

The bipeds took longer, both in deciding what to bring and packing it but it was only a few breems before they had four travel cases and their subspaces stuffed and turned to locking down the condo until they returned. Everyone hoped it would be in a half-decaorn or less. If Ravage was correct it shouldn't take longer than that.

The prospect of action helped calm Prowl on the way to the lobby and saw Jazz, Soundwave and Ravage in the transport. Even before it moved into traffic Prowl was in the air, using wing power and thermals to reach a comfortable height. Laserbeak politely waited for him to level out before settling into position with their fields meshed. Though he never asked her to she could teek that he really appreciated having the instant contact with those below.

"Do you want me to fly beside you or ride with my optics on our tail?" Laserbeak asked as she scanned the horizon looking for trouble. There were dark clouds off to the south and the look of them were making her nervous, but she couldn't consciously tell if it was bad weather or potential trouble on the horizon setting off her own instincts.

"Ride," he decided quickly and made the minor transformations to give her a good perch between his wings. "Directly behind is my blind spot."

Laserbeak quickly landed and steadied herself on Prowl's back before intently scanning around them during the trip to the shuttle pad. It was uneventful. Utterly normal. It was just that storm and Prowl's undirected distress bothering them. As Prowl circled down to land and join the others coming out of the transport she spoke. "Those clouds keep bothering me. Could that be a really bad acid storm headed our way?" 

"The harmonics are wrong. If it is a storm it is not a natural one I have encountered before. Not even midsummer in Vos," Prowl said with certainty on touchdown. This time he didn't fold his wings. He didn't even bring them upright. They were splayed out in a posture that spoke of ready flight but Jazz recognized as giving him as much situational awareness as possible. This orn Prowl favored information over politeness.

Though they all knew he was shifting only Soundwave caught why and when he pass it on that Prowl was restraining his desire to herd them as he had been as a hatchling towards the small private shuttle everyone agreed it was adorable. 

Jazz thanked the driver and headed over to Prowl as if to take protection from his guard even as he tried to keep their movements casual. "You ready to go, Prowl? I know the residents of Harmonex are going to love seeing you again."

"Takeoff: five breem?" Soundwave asked the pilot as they allowed Prowl to herd them into the shuttle and fuss.

"Affirmative. There are some snacks in the fridge if you want something to drink," the mech said as he waited for them to enter before heading into the cockpit to prep for takeoff. 

It seemed to take forever even though they all knew it hadn't even been a breem when Jazz pulled out his acoustic guitar to play and sing to distract everyone. Even Prowl managed to settle by three breems when they began to roll towards the runway.

Laserbeak kept looking out the window at the storm even as she tried to focus on Jazz and his music. Flickering her wings, she glanced uneasily back at the storm she could no longer easily see. "At least we're not heading into that mess." 

"Agreed. Whatever it is I do not want to be in it," Prowl tried to let the music relax him. There was little he could do inside the shuttle. It was best to save his energy for when he could do something. He turned his optics off and shuttered them to focus internally in tracking down what he knew but couldn't articulate while Jazz's singing created pleasant ripples across his sensor net.

The takeoff and first few moments of the flight felt uneventful to Soundwave although he could feel the pilot's relief at getting off the ground and away from the approaching storm. Tentatively he reached out seeking the traces of thoughts and sensations from the family to try to compare so he could help determine what was happening. Laserbeak definitely thought it was a storm and while Prowl didn't disagree he didn't believe it was natural. That matched with the pilot. Storm was a term of convenience to them used only because none of them knew what else to call it. Ravage was uneasy about anything that made his normally mellow and level lover so agitated but had nothing to add while Jazz was fairly calm and doing this to comfort the family. 

Suddenly there was another mind in range that shouldn't be. A flier; aggressive, angry and intend on violence despite being very nervous and uneasy about his intent. While Soundwave focused on the new mind it became a set of three, Prowl lifted his helm to focus in their direction and the shuttle suddenly went almost straight up.

"Apologies for the turbulence. It seems the storm came faster than expected," the pilot told them over the speakers. 

Soundwave had to give the mech credit for sounding calm as he flew for his existence against a trine of Seekers. He expected the only reason they were still flying was because this trine really did not know what they were doing or how to target their weapons beyond the most basic instructions. ~We are under attack. Prepare to escape,~ he ordered the family.

Though the shock Ravage gave his lover a lick and folded to dock in Soundwave's chest before Soundwave transformed into a small music system alt that Laserbeak could carry. Jazz managed to subspace his guitar and looked to Prowl.

The dragon was as flat in the aisle as he could be. "On my back. Get your hands in the grips and try to stay centered. Do not let go unless I tell you to."

Jazz climbed onto Prowl's back and grabbed hold just as they'd practiced for escapes from the condo. He'd never practiced under fire though. Hopefully he could keep hold as Prowl dove through trouble.

Laserbeak was separated from Prowl for the evacuation from the shuttle, hoping to dart out and avoid being targeted since Prowl was a much bigger threat. Her armor was much thinner and a single shot might offline her permanently and cause Ravage and Soundwave to crash helplessly to the ground.

~Soundwave: trust Laserbeak and Prowl,~ the telepath said as he sensed the Seekers moving even closer to the shuttle. All of them froze for a slit second at the sheering boom of an explosion and sudden rush of wind into the craft.

The death of the pilot struck Soundwave hard although it was mercifully quick as he was offlined by the explosion before he'd really processed any of the input. Soundwave could feel the waves of sick triumph from the Seekers as the pieces of the shuttle rained down on the streets below. 

"Fly!" Prowl's snarled order held more command than he'd used in his entire existence. Masses of calculations sucked up his processor power to the point he was operating on little more than instinct guided by the directive to escape to safety. He launched out of the front of the shuttle as it plummeted, the engines still at full power but now driven in a wild spin by the loss of aerodynamics.

Laserbeak followed shortly after at a slightly different angle down towards the ground but left of Prowl's flight path. There was no real way for her to help fight off the Seekers; all she could do was try and keep her host and fellow symbiot safe. That was her duty. Jazz and being the obvious target were Prowl's. She did her best to keep a sensor on them while she dove for the nearest cover.

The Seekers fired and kept firing as their frustration mounted at the target that moved like nothing they understood. The first hit wasn't until they were barely a few lengths away and Prowl retaliated with a blob of acid right to the wing joint. Unlike the Seekers he understood how they moved and how to target them even in the twisting dive. He was only peripherally aware that they broke off the attack and continued towards the huge swath of billowing smoke and fire where the royal district and the Senate once was. Not far from that the noble district was taking a pounding as well.

Soundwave scrambled mentally for somewhere to hide from the destruction surrounding them and consuming their home. Somewhere a dragon, an avianoid, two mechs and a felinoid would be able to disappear and survive. One place flickered through his thoughts as a possibility; the zoological garden. ~Jazz: head for The Gift of Guardian scientific section.~ 

~Gotcha,~ Jazz's badly shaken awareness answered and went silent to focus on communicating that with a ride that wasn't really thinking yet. They were almost on the ground before Jazz finally understood. ~Prowl's hurt. He can't go far.~

Laserbeak scanned the area around them, searching visually and mentally trying to find close shelter for the injured dragon. ~What about the finish store two blocks down? It's big enough inside we could all fit out of sight.~ 

~Sounds good,~ Jazz replied and focused on nudging Prowl that way. They all relaxed a tiny bit when Prowl angled for it and no more Seekers came their way.

From her vantage point Laserbeak saw how heavy the landing was and how bad the damage to Prowl's hindquarters had to be if he landed forelegs first. When she got closer Jazz was already getting the large mech door open and Prowl was putting no weight at all on that right hind leg. He was using his tail to hop the left leg forward and even that made Jazz wince from the field echo.

Once Laserbeak darted inside and set Soundwave down on the counter, Ravage ejected transforming quickly to check the back for trouble, while Soundwave transformed and headed over to check the damage to Prowl's frame. After scanning the room for anything that could help them, Laserbeak said, "I can watch for more trouble." 

"Where are the mecha?" Prowl asked as a distraction from his hip as he flopped down with the damaged side up. "There should be mecha everywhere in business joors."

"Mecha: hiding," Soundwave pointed towards the back of the store and assessed the torn armor, cabling and tubing. "Damage: from missile?"

"More likely from the energon stored there. A missile should have taken the leg off." Prowl gave a relieved sigh when Soundwave put a pain blocker just above the damage on the main neural line. "I can heal. We have energon. I just need time. We are not the target at least."

"Affirmative," Soundwave said as he began cleaning the energon from Prowl's wound so Jazz could start patching the wounds. The loss of some of the energon stores was annoying, but the injury could have been far worse if Prowl had been shot in a more critical location. This hit to the wing or forelimb would have dropped them like a rock. He doubted Prowl could fly and could probably barely glide but as ugly as it looked it wasn't as crippling as the time a heavy crane-former had stepped on his tail.

"Doors are locked and they won't open them," Ravage said with a growl as he came back to the group.

"Don't blame them; they're probably panicking," Jazz said as he placed the final patch on Prowl's leaking energon line.

"Incoming Seekers!" Laserbeak screamed out as she darted away from the windows. 

"Grab the table. Get under it," Jazz pointed to the solid surface used for consultations as he ran towards it intent on dragging it to Prowl so they all had some cover.

Soundwave hurried over and helped Jazz haul the table closer. A quick scan of the room revealed no spot in the room seemed structurally sounder than the other. Laserbeak and Ravage both transformed and docked with Soundwave to give the others a bit more space under the table. Prowl coiled around Soundwave and Jazz to give them a bit more protection. He knew without doubt that without a doctor he was the most capable of recovering. There was no telling how much of the city would be left or how long it would take for the fighting, looting and chaos to end. Half to everyone's surprise it was the back of the building and not the front that collapsed.

~Hiding mecha: gone.~ Soundwave told them and said a silent prayer for their swift return to Primus.

The sounds of jets overhead retreated and with them the sounds of active destruction.

"How long before we try to ... what are we planning to do?" Prowl looked between the two mecha.

Soundwave winced as more rubble fell in the streets outside and around them. "Store: safe for now."

"Unless things get worse we probably shouldn't try to leave until we're certain the fighting is over," Jazz agreed, armor trembling slightly with his fright at the current situation even as he tried to collect himself and focus on what they had to do. "The Gift of Guardian isn't a bad idea depending on how much devastation actually has happened to Iacon. At least Prowl will be able to eat if we make it there. I think we need more information before we can plan. If the roads are destroyed and you can't fly it's going to take a while to get anywhere." 

"We have supplies for several orns even with me on healing amounts," Prowl said firmly. "Every scrap of edible was taken. We lost some to my damage but not that much. I will be able to hunt again before we are out."

Jazz nodded, more than willing to let them lead when they had a plan they agreed on.

"Rest," Soundwave removed a blanket from subspace and spread it over them to help with a small bit of normality and comfort. 

* * *

Prowl shifted the wing spread over Jazz and Soundwave's recharging frames. He'd already consumed a cube of high grade to help his self-repairs, but he was still ravenous. It reminded him uncomfortably of his growth stage.

"It's been quiet long enough that I think the attackers have fled," Laserbeak said as she flew back from another peek out the door to look for trouble or rescue.

"We haven't seen anyone and don't know when help is going to arrive here. They'll go to the high governmental sections and the noble's districts first," Ravage grumbled.

"Unless there's nothing left to search through there," Laserbeak said pessimistically. "We know for the short term that we're on our own." 

"Agreed," Prowl looked between them. "We have supplies to last several orns if we are careful. Then we will have to hunt."

"Soundwave will tolerate it but won't want to see the results. Jazz...he doesn't really enjoy the noble's hunts he's had to attend. He won't want to eat anything we catch," Ravage said.

"Or find," Laserbeak added pragmatically. "How are you doing right now, Prowl?" 

"Starving. It is like when I arrived only I know this is because I cannot fly and this is a bad place to be. The laser did not do much damage but the energon exploding did. About a cube worth detonated inside the armor pockets around my hip. Fortunately most of the blast went outward but it still ripped some important cabling for my wing power. I believe I can walk without my tail now if I need to. I will not fly for at least an orn or two even if I eat well," Prowl admitted. "It may take longer than that."

"You need to eat to heal, but we need to keep the energon reserves as long as possible," Ravage thought even as he glanced around scanning the room hoping for a solution.

"There aren't any pigeonoids or razor rats around. They got scared off by the destruction," Laserbeak said. "They'll be back once things are stable long enough."

"The razor rats will be coming for those frames in the back room," Ravage muttered and then froze. 

"I won't eat bodies if I can help it but I'll eat anything fresh-caught," Prowl said with a look primarily at Ravage. "Energon spoils inside frames fairly fast and it makes the rest taste off." He looked at Laserbeak. "You should be able to though if any can be dug out enough."

Ravage grimaced but looked over at Laserbeak to see her reaction. She thought for a long klik before saying, "I can check to see if they have anything useful in subspace or hiding back there and feed without using our resources until we leave this area." 

"Once I can fly I can feed us all, one way or another," Prowl said quietly.

"I'll see about digging something out as bait for the razor rats and whatever else," Ravage said quietly. "I'm sure I can catch a few an orn."

Prowl nodded and focused on Laserbeak. "If you are willing once Soundwave is awake I'd like you to go as high as you can and get an overview of the damage and where we are in it. It is possible we are near an edge. There might not be a city left."

"I'll go up when it's a bit darker and I'm visually less noticeable," Laserbeak agreed. "I'll also check out the area around us for safe pathways although Ravage might be able to find other paths if he explores too."

"Definitely." the feline nodded.

"Just do not go far. The explosions may be done but that does not mean the attackers are gone," Prowl warned him from old stories. "I do not want you too far I cannot help."

"This is one of those times when looking like smaller mechanimals is an advantage. We can fit places mecha don't think to look and don't register as the same kind of threat to most mecha," Ravage said even as he completely agreed with Prowl that they should stay close together. Safety in numbers aside, they lacked the bond connection with Prowl to know he was safe and warn him of danger. "At least one of us will be with you at all times so we all get warnings of trouble. It's too bad the local comm systems are offline. I know that's one of the first things an attacker traditionally takes out, but it's driving Jazz and Soundwave crazy not knowing what's going on out there." 

Prowl sighed and shifted to cover the recharging pair a bit better. "I can only hope that it will be someone friendly who finds us first. We cannot be the only survivors in the area."

"If he's online Soundwave will probably feel them coming, especially if they're angry or worried," Laserbeak promised as she took her leave to discretely feed while the two mecha were oblivious. 

* * *

Ravage flattened himself against the ground and stifled a growl as he watched the Tesarusian mech shoving jewelry into his subspace as he exited the shop three doors down from where their family was hiding. The mech had a gun in his hand and had obviously been searching through the debris for some time. Disgusted and worried about his family, Ravage slunk away to get help; they needed to take this mech out before he had any chance to harm Jazz.

Inside the building Laserbeak tapped a quiet warning against Prowl's head and felt him focus on her even as Soundwave stilled from their improvised dice game. Jazz shifted, ready to hide.

~Looter with a blaster,~ Laserbeak filled them in across fields and bond and passed on the location Ravage gave her.

Prowl pushed himself to his pedes. He was steady on them and despite the damage visible to his armor his internals had almost healed. ~Finally a meal big enough for everyone.~

"Careful," Jazz said even as he cringed at Prowl's comment; the idea of eating a mech even in desperation was nauseating to him. Offlining the mech before he harmed anyone in the family was less disturbing to him. That was no different than offlining the mecha who'd tried to steal Prowl a couple centuries ago. 

"I will be," Prowl promised. "You both stay hidden until we know it is safe."

Jazz nodded and moved with Soundwave to a better concealed spot and let his conjunx endura comfort him.

Despite his size and the aching cabling that kept him from flying Prowl moved quietly and did his best to remain out of view of the target he could sense already. As he crept forward Ravage appeared at his side and Laserbeak flew upwards to keep them warned of dangers.

~I could try to lure him out or distract him,~ Ravage offered as they crept forward. ~Maybe making some noise like a razor rat would distract him so you could take him down.~ 

~I think he might just run from you. Mecha are generally afraid of large predators. However you distract him he will need to be close. I cannot fly or jump well yet.~ Prowl warned him, then considered the danger two blocks away. ~Or we wait for him to come into range on his own and start with an acid glob.~

~He's too big for me to take out on my own without the risk of getting an injury we can't afford right now, but I could move behind him and strike at his neck after you hit him with acid. That would give you time to get across to him if I can't take him down with the bite to the throat,~ Ravage said after careful consideration. ~I could sneak around on the right. He shouldn't spot me with all the rubble and my dark, low frame.~ 

~Agreed,~ Prowl accepted the plan and watched their target come out of another shop. ~Get behind him. I will begin as soon as he is in range.~

Ravage gave a brush of affection through his field before slipping away into the spaces too small for Prowl to hide. The mech was looking around at his level; like most thugs he was focused on an enemy his size or larger. All his time sneaking around the paparazzi had kept his innate instincts honed. The most risky point was when he was actually parallel to the mech. Instinctively he shuttered his optics and froze letting the mech pass him. He could hear and feel the mech's pedes as he passed the hiding spot. Onlining his optics again, Ravage lined and waited for Prowl's attack. Every time the mech moved a store closer to the waiting dragon Ravage crept forward as well while the mech was out of sight.

It seemed to be forever until the mech got to where Ravage expected Prowl to take the shot and he was pleased with himself that he was right. As the mech turned his back to go into a store Prowl rumbled and pushed his forebody up before a blob of neon green splattered on the looter's face when he turned to check out the sound. Even as Ravage rushed forward he noted that Prowl was moving too and got a good look at how impaired he still was. Flying was definitely out and while he was sure Prowl could walk a solid distance if it meant getting out Laserbeak's visuals had confirmed that - while much of Iacon was still standing - they were in the middle of a swath of destruction that would take a decaorn or more to walk out of. It was probably going to be at least a vorn before the roads were cleared and repaired enough to drive safely through the entire area.

Ravage slammed into the mech's back, driving his fangs into the neck junction even as his front claws ripped at the cabling in the mech's shoulders trying to sever cables or at least damage them enough that the mech couldn't shoot his gun. He teeked Prowl's arrival and saw the shadow before Prowl grabbed the mech with both forelimbs and bit his helm off with a quick twisting jerk. As Ravage let go he got his first look at how dragons got their live energon and why the sucking method developed. Prowl's mouth was closed around the neck, the special plates that allowed him to seal his mouth around it to drain the system energon.

Those systems kept pumping well after they should have stopped and only stilled when Prowl let go. "Creepy but very effective," Laserbeak said as she landed on some debris above them. It let her keep an optic on the area and maybe grab a snack. "He doesn't seem to have any buddies out here. He might have been a raider that stayed to make some shanix or a common criminal looking for an easy target. Good strike on him from both of you."

"Thank you," Prowl rumbled with the teek of feeling well fed. "Do you want any?"

"I should," Laserbeak said accepting the offer by hopping down to Prowl's shoulder and then onto the deactivated frame. "It'll be easier in the long run if I readjust to more natural fuel for my frame type." With that remark she reached into the gaping wound and pulled out a bit of loose energon-soaked cabling. It didn't taste particularly good to her but it still registered as fuel.

"So this can fuel us but how do you fuel Jazz and Soundwave?" Ravage looked up after following Laserbeak's lead.

"Very young hatchlings drink a diluted fuel adults process. I found the commands some time ago. I have heard of it in stories as well, where someone was badly injured and had to drink the offerings of the hunters," Prowl tried to explain something he only barely understood in theory.

"Makes sense," Ravage said after thinking about the concept and their mechs' potential reactions to the idea. "There are mechanimals that fuel their offspring that way, and mecha used to give gnasher milk to sparklings as a supplemental fuel." 

"It may be humiliating but I expect they will find it better than eating kills or starving," Prowl said quietly. "As long as I can fuel well we will not starve."

"That's comforting for us even if they get a little disturbed by things for the next few decaorns or so as they mentally adjust. Jazz has been pretty far removed from desperation for a very long time, and it's been a while since Soundwave has been close to someone experiencing it," Laserbeak said between bites. 

When he was sure the pair had as much as they wanted Prowl went after the material he needed the most before crunching away at armor until his fuel take stopped wanting more. Only then did he drag what was left to stash near the door to continue to munch on later.

"Jazz, Soundwave?" Prowl stuck his helm into the store and scoped it out before entering fully. "Do you want to learn how to fuel from me before it is desperate?"

"Affirmative," Soundwave said reluctantly, having already determined that this was necessary even if it was disturbing.

"Yeah, we need to know how to do it," Jazz said sounding even more reluctant but coming over to Prowl and habitually checking him over to see how his injuries were repairing. 

Prowl nodded and flopped down, his injured side up despite being visible healed. His armor still showed the damage and the internals weren't quite fixed but he looked whole enough. Two sections of plating halfway down his belly slid open for arm-long tubes the size of Jazz's finger to slip out.

"Sucking on the end triggers the energon release. It will be weak, it is meant for hatchlings, but it should be enough to survive on," he told them.

Jazz shrugged and knelt down next to the tube, picking it up and examining it curiously. "Can't be stranger tasting than some of the things we've had a parties." With that comment, he gave an experimental suck to see what would happen and how much force and time was needed to get a response from Prowl's systems. 

"That feels so strange," Prowl shivered his wings and watched in fascination as the pair eventually sucked long enough for fuel to begin pouring out. He didn't really remember this stage, or perhaps the method of fueling was swallowed up by the competition to get a tube with eight siblings.

"Doesn't have much taste beyond a bit of sweetness, but it's a little acidic," Jazz remarked after a mouthful or so and realized that the flow stopped when he stopped sucking but the energon in the tube remained.

"Affirmative," Soundwave agreed. The taste wasn't the issue; it was more strange to be feeding from another being.

"Might taste different depending upon what you fuel on," Ravage suggested. "Razor rats taste a bit like what they consume, and cyber-bee honey changes based upon flower types visited." 

"It is possible. I know I prefer acidic because of my breath weapon. It is easier to draw acid from acidic things. Those with other weapons prefer other things," Prowl accepted the idea and drew the tubes inside his frame again. "At least I was correct and it is viable for your fuel."

"Currently strange but workable," Jazz agreed. "It we were in a more rural area I'd start looking for fruits and other sources so we could readjust our systems to them. At least we've always had a bit of exposure throughout our lives due to our varied diets."

"Good. It will save you from eating the dead," Prowl said simply. "Leave that to the predators."

"Yeah," Jazz agreed quietly as he leaned against Prowl's shoulder. He'd seen the dragon on the hunt before and acting in defense of their family, but the idea that he was willing to kill mecha and use them as food was still a bit unsettling. 

* * *

On their fourth night resting in the remains of a shop or home after being on the move during the day towards the nearest patch of relatively undamaged city Jazz was immensely grateful that the predators of the family never brought their kills inside. If it was anything larger than a razor rat they even made a point of eating far enough away that the crunching couldn't be heard. He was sure Soundwave knew what they killed but he was kind enough not to share that knowledge. Prowl kept them in fuel, kept them strong enough to keep moving towards civilization.

Now Ravage was on watch duty and the other four were cuddled together under Prowl's wing with the dragon's back to the opening and his head on his shoulder to be able to acid anything unwelcome coming in before moving.

The unease along the family bond roused them as Prowl lifted his head to focus on Ravage.

"Vibrations. Something big is coming. Not as big as before," the cougaraider said quietly.

Prowl carefully unwound from them slinked outside to spread his wings wide. His shock-joy was so strong even Jazz felt it when his field flared out.

"An Elder!" Prowl turned his helm to face them. "That is an Elder calling."

"An elder dragon?" Jazz said in near disbelief. It was the last thing he expected to hear in the middle of the ruins of Iacon. A brief thought flickered through his mind. Was it the dragons that had attacked Iacon? 

~Negative. Seekers, Decepticons: attacked Iacon,~ Soundwave told him firmly while Prowl made short work of getting as high as he could with a series of flying leaps.

Laserbeak followed Prowl up but kept a careful distance away from the dragon. ~I'm keeping an optic out for any more trouble.~ Once she knew the direction Prowl was focused when he emitted a deep base roar from his frame rather than his vocalizer she was sure she saw the Elder he said was here. It was at the edge of her vision but it was clear enough to be a very large ship. Not the size of a capitol or large cargo spaceship but up there.

It wasn't long before the vibrations changed and that ship angled directly for them.

"I will be back when they understand you are kin," Prowl told her before launching and flying towards the vessel.

Staying in place as she watched Prowl head off Laserbeak kept most of her attention on him even as she scanned the skies around them. She couldn't believe that no one in the government had noticed the unusual intruder unless all of the search systems were inoperative or busy trying to locate the more important mecha. The ship reminded her a bit of an alloy-shell retreated into its armor to avoid an intruder. 

She watched Prowl come to a hover near the ship, now clearly showing its deep red color before he disappeared inside. In another klik the ship surged forward right for her.

~He's inside,~ Laserbeak exclaimed as she darted to the left of the ship. She couldn't tell if it was chasing her directly or if she was simply in the way. Whether or not it followed her would tell her a lot. The moment Prowl was in short ranged comm range he pinged her.

::Go inside. Elder Typhoon will stop overhead. Creator and I will drop down then,:: Prowl instructed her with a sense of how ecstatic he was in his voice.

~He'll be down to join us shortly once we're inside. He's bringing his creator with him,~ Laserbeak passed along as she headed down to join the others.

~Great, we get to deal with the ticked off creator,~ Ravage grumbled. 

~Dragons: not angry,~ Soundwave informed them as the huge ship cast a shadow even in the night when it came overhead.

~I guess this is goodbye to Prowl,~ Jazz said quietly realizing this was an orn he'd expected arriving far too quickly. ~There's no way he's not going fulfill his greatest desire and go home.~

~Affirmative,~ Soundwave agreed even as the group waited for the two dragons to arrive and say goodbye.

It was only a few more kliks before Prowl landed outside and walked in on all fours. While he seemed to be alone Soundwave could mentally hear the presence of a second being with him or possibly in him.

"So there is one more option on the list of ways to survive the war," Prowl opened after nuzzling Ravage. "You can go home with me."

"Home with you?" Jazz repeated staring almost blankly at him. Given everything Prowl had said and implied about his species, Jazz could barely believe he was even making the suggestion. "I thought you said your people hated and feared our kind." 

"I also know you and Soundwave are quite capable of keeping a secret from the public when you need to and more importantly the alt modes you have are not permanent. If you take an alt-mode suitable to Hausnest you will not stand out much. There are many, many beastformers of all sizes," Prowl explained. "I was not yet an adult when I was captured. There is much I had no idea about. Creator said it was possible as payment for what you did for me."

Jazz couldn't help glancing over at Soundwave as the family consulted. ~It's not something I even contemplated. I mean technically I guess it isn't much different from fleeing to a colony; it just feels strange.~

~It'd get us away from the coming war. You know the Prime will retaliate with violence against the Decepticon strongholds,~ Laserbeak said thinking carefully about the future. 

~Primus: lead me to rescue Prowl. Prowl: now offering to rescue us. Megatron: will not stop.~ Soundwave looked at his mate. ~Colonies: unlikely to be safe.~

~Lapresul Parity said Megatron had a darkness in him. You sensed it when you met him even as brief as it was,~ Laserbeak added.

~I'm more than willing to go, but I'm biased,~ Ravage freely admitted. ~Getting to live with Prowl in a place that doesn't view me as a mechanimal because of my frame is a bonus as far as I'm concerned. I didn't expect that attitude from any colony we reviewed.~ 

Soundwave focused on Prowl. "Creator: was to be with you."

"She is," he huffed in good humor and nudged a spot between his wings. "Come off and say hello already," he said in Primal Vernacular. 

He visibly flinched and lowered his helm in abject apology even as that spot shifted to two shades of red with brass and gray and no energy ball on her tail. As she climbed his neck Prowl relaxed and lifted his lead.

~Amerith: reprimanded Prowl for giving her location away. Prowl: forgiven now.~ Soundwave translated.

The energy ball lit neutral blue between the four thicker tines at the end of her tail and she ruffled very different wings from Prowl. What really struck everyone though was her size. Her body was barely longer than Soundwave's hand. 

"That is your creator?" Ravage volunteered to ask and decided to keep it to Primal Vernacular in case she objected to the new language to her.

"This is her normal size. She only grew big to lay eggs," Prowl explained.

"Yes. This is my typical appearance," Amerith agreed from her perch with her shoulders just behind Prowl's chevron. Her optics two bright blue spots beneath a long brass chevron as she regarded them. "I have listened to my creation's account of you. For your care I will make citizenship happen for you on Hausnest if you wish and you obey our laws. We are also willing to take you to any city or planet you know."

Jazz gave another look around his family. "So Soundwave and I just need beastform alts, brush up on law and culture and then make a living."

"Yes. You will not be sent out immediately to fend for yourselves. From Prowl I know you all have skills to earn a good income." Amerith confirmed.

"We'll go. If we can go to a spaceport on Cybertron we all have significant digital property that can be converted to something useful. Shanix and data. Our home was probably destroyed but not all we own," Jazz suggested to see how willing they were to stay an extra orn or two. If they could manage it would give them all a chance to think about this while well-fueled, clean and safe.

"We can remain that long," Amerith agreed. She was visibly unhappy but not lying.

"We were going to do that to mine anyway," Prowl chuckled. "If nothing else to buy enough fuel so I'm still an adult when we get home. Soundwave, if you would transform and Ravage dock Laserbeak will carry you up. Jazz, on my back as before," he instructed and laid down for Jazz to get on easily.

Ravage gave Prowl an affectionate nuzzle and said, "Glad I'm not going to lose you," before docking with Soundwave.

Jazz looked at Amerith to gauge her reaction as he climbed onto Prowl's back even as Soundwave and Laserbeak followed Prowl's instructions. There really wasn't much choice in the matter at this point. Getting off Cybertron was their best chance for survival at this point. 

As they flew up Soundwave was the first to realize that the Elder dragon wasn't in the ship, she _was_ the ship. By the time Soundwave was on his pedes once more inside the ruby and wine colored docking/storage bay he'd sorted out his shock enough to inform the family.

Jazz had to ponder just how influential Prowl's creator truly was if she could get an Elder to leave Hausnest on the hunt for her missing creation. He also had to admit that Prowl wasn't likely to be exaggerating when he said Elders were the size of a metrotitan. Trying to be polite, he looked around and said, "Greetings. Thank you for being willing to accept our presence." 

"Prowl made a good argument for you," the deep voice responded and pinged them a small file. "That contains a map and the basic rules. Go to your quarters now."

"This way," Prowl said and turned right in the hallway beyond the inner door while his creator flew left. "They both understand the major languages by now. Primal Vernacular is still the polite one to use."

"We'll definitely keep that in mind," Ravage said as they followed Prowl towards their quarters. "We all got a lot of practice talking to you in it. Soundwave doesn't count since he was a priest." 

"Something that went a long way with my creator and Elder Typhoon," Prowl said seriously while they walked. "That Jazz is an entertainer, a singer and composer, also helped a lot. Not that you couldn't be trained in something but both of those things slip easily into our society and are less likely than some to cause problems. We do believe in Primus even if his form and some stories are different."

"Primus: different to different mecha. Primus: variations one and the same," Soundwave agreed. At times it had been almost heresy to publicly hold such beliefs, but it was something he'd decided was the truth after being exposed to more cultures and the personal beliefs within.

"Slag, I've got a lot of backlogged messages," Jazz said as his connection to a relay reestablished and all the backlogged messages began filling his HUD. "Better to let most of these mecha think I've offlined or frantically fled the disaster and gone into hiding." 

"Deactivated: effective truth soon," Soundwave pointed out when Prowl stopped at a barely visible door and tapped a control panel at a convenient height for him to lift one forelimb to tap the button.

"Dragons have a different concept of privacy than you do though creator has said that the beastformer population likes it more," Prowl said and walked inside to a good-sized living room with only a large pile of pillows and blankets in one corner and a wide opening that lead to a simple washrack clearly designed with Prowl in mind. "I believe we can all agreed to clear out when Jazz and Soundwave wish to merge. There are places to go."

"Understanding: appreciated," Soundwave said as he explored part of the room and worked through his own backlog of frantic comms. It was too bad he couldn't tell Brightouch and Parity where he was going, but it was information that should be kept private especially given the circumstances. He knew he would eventually see them again in the Well, and they would understand his present need for secrecy. Despite Typhoon keeping her thoughts to herself and having respectable shields he knew shielding himself during this trip would be exhausting.

"Merging should be a private event; interruptions can trigger aggression in some of the most pacifistic of mecha," Laserbeak agreed as she found a satisfactory selection of pillows and blankets to make a nest. "As for privacy it probably depends upon the beastformers and how many instincts they retain from their mechanimal forms."

"Slag, Skyfire is frantic to try to find us," Ravage said as he paused his own explorations. "I've got nine messages just from him." 

"Let me make that contact," Prowl said quickly. "I got him an invitation to come."

Soundwave knew Prowl and Skyfire had become very close, but he was surprised that the dragon had been able to convince his creator to bring the shuttle with them.

::Prowl, thank Primus I've finally heard from one of you!:: Skyfire explained as Prowl's comm was accepted. ::Is everyone else functional?:: 

::Yes. We all made it. Are you on Cybertron?: Prowl asked.

::I'm currently on my way back from Ibex to continue searching for all of you. The University had me drop off a few scientists for a shuttle launch. I've been searching everywhere for you,:: Skyfire hesitated a moment before continuing. ::SpacialFlux is deactivated. I found him, Loopy and Gilded Streak all crushed in his collapsed apartment five orn ago.::

Prowl paused in a moment of grief. ::We can fill you in fully in person. Please do not say anything about us surviving. Just go to Typhoon in Ibex's main spaceport. Or in the air if you see us coming in. We're on route from Iacon now.:: He added an image capture of the Elder's alt mode from a couple angles. ::We need to talk.::

::I'll head back and wait for you,:: Skyfire said before reluctantly breaking the connection.

"Prowl: bad news?" Soundwave asked, the grief obvious in his thoughts and field. 

"Skyfire has been searching for us. He found SpacialFlux, Loopy and Gilded Streak crushed in their apartment. He will meet us at Ibex." Prowl summarized. 

Soundwave paused and sent a prayer to Primus to accept and embrace the Aerial's spark. Hopefully the two small pets who were so treasured would be joining their beloved owner in one form or another.

"He would have been grief-stricken to lose them especially like that," Jazz said, mourning the first real, personal loss they had heard of from the attack. 

Soundwave drew him close and held him while he kept tabs on everyone's state. The loss was there for everyone. Prowl processed it the quickest, accepting the deactivation and then letting it go with a smoothness that would be the envy of any priest. He couldn't be sure it wasn't simply buried but it didn't feel like it was to him. Already Prowl was focused on comforting Jazz. It made sense to the priest that the predator would react to deactivation differently. The reality was Prowl had only been thinking about any Cybertronians as people for a short time in his existence. That he mourned one at all was in a way astounding. 

* * *

Skyfire felt uneasy as he flew towards the ship large enough for mecha like him to be the crew. It wasn't a capitol ship but it was huge for something atmospheric. Still he trusted Prowl and he wanted to say goodbye now that he knew they were alive and likely leaving. He didn't like that they were leaving on a ship that was undoubtedly not theirs.

::Typhoon, this is Skyfire. Permission to board,:: he pinged as he came close.

::Granted,:: a deep feminine voice answered and the ship matched his speed and angled its side to shield the opening from the wind.

Landing in the unfamiliar ship went smoothly as instincts and programming took control despite the concerns and stress within his processor. Once he had landed he transformed and immediately looked around for Prowl, wanting answers but also wanting to reassure himself that they were truly online and functional.

"It's good to see you in one piece," Laserbeak said from her perch behind Prowl's chevron. "We were worried that you'd been caught in the devastation." 

"I wasn't in Iacon. By the time the flight restrictions were lifted I was back and started looking for survivors. Both our homes were demolished but I couldn't find any indication of any of you." Skyfire started only to pause as it fully sunk in that there was a field all around him.

"We were on a shuttle in the air to Harmonex when it began. We almost escaped. We did survive," Prowl caught his look around. "This is Typhoon, an Elder. My creator finally tracked me down. Come. Everyone wants to see you."

"Greetings, Elder," Skyfire said falling into the respectful bow and wing dip he would give an ancient shuttle. This was an Elder who was probably incredibly ancient and might have even been a part of the Exodus from Cybertron. "Thank you for letting me help them and come aboard." 

"You are welcome," a deep voice rumbled all around them.

"Your manners will go a long way if you join us." Prowl grinned up at him then went serious. "We offered fuel and shelter to each other. I will not ignore that while we are on the same planet."

"Join you," Skyfire stared at Prowl finally understanding that processor crash he had witnessed so long ago. "You want me to come with you to Hausnest? I was planning to leave Cybertron especially now that Sentinel Prime has offlined and the planet is probably going to be engulfed in war. Being able to live with even one friend is more than I thought was possible." 

"The difference is that if you fly yourself somewhere you can come back, know mecha of your own kind again. There is no returning from Hausnest. If you come you will stay. You will have to change your alt to a beast form to fit in." Prowl tried to present the downside despite wanting to downplay them.

"Spending the rest of my existence studying a new planet with my explorer coding and enjoying a safety I wouldn't have here?" Skyfire said almost giddy. "Besides, we have a lot more in common than I have with most of my own kind." 

Prowl nodded and shivered his wings in pleasure as his field finally unfurled to express his desire. "Then think of what you might wish to bring for your own comfort. We have a few orns in Ibex while I arrange for all accessible funds to be converted into useful forms. I will add your accounts to that list."

"Gladly," Skyfire extended his own field and let his relief at their survival bleed out toward Prowl's frame. "What can I do to help besides picking up supplies and spending shanix where you can't be seen?" 

Prowl didn't pause in his steps though his thoughts did as he sorted out the potential. "Most will be delivered; no different than any stocking of a ship for travel. Most of what I intend to buy will be in bulk; energon, additives, polish and such. The digital content can be downloaded. I believe we have all put any thoughts of personal things away. None of us can be seen in public. I am sure by morning in Ibex there will be a shopping list for you we will be grateful for."

Skyfire nodded and paused when Prowl did at a barely visible door. "For tonight you will need to recharge with us. If you want your own room I believe Elder Typhoon can arrange it."

"If you don't mind me here for a long time I'd gladly stay," Skyfire admitted as Laserbeak flew to her perch. "It's been rare for me to have comforting fields around me and with this upheaval it would be welcome." 

"I'm good with it," Jazz grinned. "I won't mind another friend on a new world either."

"Affirmative. We: like to recharge with others," Soundwave agreed. "Skyfire: offer to pick up individual items appreciated."

"You may have already heard, but Sentinel Prime and most of the Senate are offline," Skyfire didn't want to bring up the grim news but he needed to get it off his processor. "There is complete disarray in Iacon and it is spreading like an oilfire across the other city-states." 

Jazz shuddered and pressed close to Soundwave who focused on soothing him.

"I am not surprised. The support Megatron must have to manage this..." Prowl still couldn't process how they hadn't know it was so close yet. "We, I, believed there were vorns yet. A decade or more."

"A large portion of Vos joined them," Skyfire explained. "It seems to have surprised almost everyone. I know...knew one of the Seekers that's been openly seen with Megatron. Starscream was brilliant but incredibly spiteful. He didn't trust the motives of anyone who tried to work with him. Even I eventually lost willingness to try to reach him." 

"That ... antisocial to that extent is a coding defect, is it not?" Prowl struggled with the idea of it not being dealt with long ago.

"Normally but occasionally brilliance in a field has quirks that are accommodated. He eventually left the University claiming he was being persecuted for being a Seeker scientist. It may have been happening, but it was difficult for many to take his accusations seriously given his temperament and past claims," Skyfire sighed and settled on the floor letting Ravage and Prowl surround him and soaking in their fields. "If he had contacts in Vos he could have made Megatron connections there."

"Especially if Seekers had reason to be paranoid of other Cybertronian frames," Ravage murmured quietly having had occasional conversations with Prowl about that theory in the past. 

"I expect they do," Prowl sighed and all but climbed into Skyfire's lap to wrap around him to offer comfort. "Energon, snacks?"

"Yes, please," Skyfire said as he finally, truly relaxed here where he finally felt safe. 

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the rear observation room as the hanger bay in Ibex receded and they entered a space-bound traffic lane behind three large freighters headed for the far reaches of the empire. It was hard to believe the bustling spaceport was on a world erupting in a planetary civil war. It was active, undamaged, and even as the full breath of the city came into view it showed no signs of what had happened to Iacon.

"This feels so surreal," Jazz said quietly breaking the silence even as he leaned against Soundwave soaking in the familiar presence during this moment of loss. "I'm going to lock this moment in my memory banks." 

"Is Hausnest still where you want to go?" Prowl asked cautiously.

"Yeah. It'll be rough learning to fit in on any new world, but this civil war isn't going to improve our reputation in the galaxy. We also don't know how far it is going to spread," Jazz sighed. "Besides, we'd miss you." 

Prowl nuzzled him with affection in his field. "I am glad. I also want you to be sure. The last time you were asked you had not had time to think with a full tank and safety."

"We've already talked about leaving Cybertron and possible futures ever since this possibility was seriously discussed and debated. The family has had long private discussions about where to go and how to handle things once you left us since we knew it would happen someday with your plans. The idea of going with you was a bit wistful thinking on our parts," Jazz said as he looked down at Ravage. 

"I never expected this," Ravage could only shrug and focused on Cybertron as it clearly became a planet. "It's still kinda surreal."

"I knew creator would come for me. I never believed I was worth enough for an Elder," Prowl admitted with real awe at the truth of it and a growing grasp that it was his creator that was so valuable that she could get an Elder to come. "You will have time to become accustomed to it and to learn a lot of what you need to know. It will be decades before we are home."

Soundwave looked up at the ship around them acknowledging the Elder that was doing them this great favor by bringing the monsters of the past to Hausnest, "Family: thanks you. Opportunity: not to be wasted. Soundwave: become beastformer Host." 

"There are options," Amerith's red dragon form launched lightly off the wall to land on Prowl's helm behind his chevron. "Both in creatures that would be plausible and in modifications to any common alt. There are a group of mechanimals with pockets for their young. Others have young that attach to their outer frame. It is also possible to design an alt that looks normal but can open to accept your symbiots to enter it. I understand that both of yours are in their final frames?"

"Affirmative: Ravage and Laserbeak full adults," Soundwave agreed admitting the truth. "Ravage: unique modified felinoid frame. Laserbeak: mature cryo-condor frame. Leaving: both given option multiple times but declined."

"Soundwave could take more symbiots on if necessary or available but it hasn't come up yet," Laserbeak said flicking her wings. "Symbiots and hosts are together by choice." 

"You do not create your symbiots?" Amerith didn't hide her visible surprise.

"Symbiots: adopted," Soundwave explained elaborated on something that was rather unusual and almost unique to their small family. Most hosts had more symbiots than his pair. "Soundwave: never created symbiot before." 

"Can you create them? It matters to the design," she elaborated.

"Affirmative," Soundwave decided to elaborate since there was little point trying to hide the information from the determined dragon. "Soundwave: possesses necessary systems to carry and nurture symbiots." 

A slight nod accepted that. "Are you inclined to in the next millennia or two?"

"Possibility: stable home and willing partner," Soundwave said with a nod towards Jazz.

"We talked about it a while ago and were looking at the possibility once my career was established, and we were financially secure enough to support our offspring," Jazz explained. "The paparazzi would have had a field day with such an unusual sparkling." 

"They image capture for sensational important person stories," Prowl translated. "Annoying though largely harmless to most."

"We do not have such individuals on Hausnest," Amerith accepted the explanation. "If you are not inclined to expand your symbiots for that long it does not need to be a focus of your alt design." She pinged Soundwave a sizable file. "That is my best understanding of your options. Jazz," she shifted focus, "What kind of alt are you inclined to wear?"

"Something where I can still play music and entertain since that is my spark calling," Jazz replied. "That leaves out most forms with quad limbs." 

"Unless you transform to play, though I agree that one where you do not need to is better," she hummed thoughtful. "Avian, biped, octipi, something else?"

"Octipi would be challenging on land although the multiple limbs would make playing instruments more interesting," Jazz pondered the options. "Avianoid might have something of interest since I do tend to sing while performing." 

"They are also most of the flashy forms which is suited to a performer. There are several that have instruments built into them," Amerith pointed out.

"That would be interesting especially if I found a good partner or two to join in performances. I wonder how many of them I could play myself, how many are self-playing and how many are played by others," Jazz muttered as he started thinking about options and potential plumage patterns.

"I've been looking at options for frame types as well," Skyfire said. He'd ruled out the dragon forms from Cybertron after hearing Amerith's reaction to bringing even a pair of cyber drakes along to remember SpacialFlux. "I've ruled out space whales because I don't intend to even imply I'm planning on leaving the planet and there is a possibility that would trigger some of my explorer programming. Some of the larger thundercrests, air sharks, pteranodonoids, cyber-pterodactyls or cybercoatls would be options. If there are Jurassanoids to replicate." 

"We did not bring any of the larger Jurassanoids with us. There are thundercrests, cybercoatls and air sharks however there is nothing that flies that comes close to your size other than a dragon. As such it is possible to design something from an image, real or otherwise. No one could mistake you for anything local. From my understanding thundercrests and cybercoatls will remain in their beast mode most of the time. Air sharks tend to transform when on the ground." Amerith explained thoughtfully. "There are many options for you."

"Historically there have rarely any beastformers my size, and I would not presume to take a dragon's form especially given what little Prowl has said about your clans and ways of interacting," Skyfire agreed. "Ravage, Prowl and I can help design a form that I can use upon arrival." 

Amerith nodded. "I will assist as well. All three of your forms will need to be modified from the basic one to some extent. While Jazz and Soundwave are likely to be given cover stories that are reasonably normal I expect yours will be that you flew in. We have some contact with the systems around ours and it is known that there are many more than our two worlds with transforming mechanical life. Given there is no way for you to be from another settlement I expect it will be that you were an interstellar explorer from one of these other worlds and was granted permission to settle. It is rare but it has been done before. That would also allow you more freedom in how you learn about Hausnest from the common mecha."

"It also explains my knowledge of other worlds," Skyfire agreed as the group watched Cybertron slowly fade from view. Privately he was deeply grateful for the suggested cover story. It suited him well and he could easily substitute any of dozens of worlds he knew about for Cybertron as his place of creation. With the truth of his heritage where he hatched didn't even need to be a settled world. Interstellar shuttles were known to hatch wherever their creators were that vorn. The beastformer equivalent could be expected to have similar habits.


End file.
